USING TECH AND TACTICS TO TACKLE DOMESTIC ABUSE 

Published on 28 November, 2024 | Emma Hubbard

Whenever crime figures are published, there is a temptation for some people to focus on the numbers.

They may be shocking in themselves but such scrutiny can mean that the experience of those individuals who are the victims of crime becomes lost amidst a forest of statistics.

It was something of which I was acutely aware while reading through new material published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) about the incidence of domestic abuse across England and Wales (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/domesticabuseinenglandandwalesoverview/november2024).

The release paints an horrific picture.

Over the course of the 12 months to March this year, some 2.3 million people over the age of 16 were subjected to domestic abuse.

The 851,062 complaints logged by police led to 38,776 perpetrators being convicted.

My interest in the information issued by the ONS is anything but casual.

Allegations of domestic abuse form a regular part of the work which I and my colleagues deal with.

The cases which we have handled illustrate all too clearly how such behaviour exacts a very real and very terrible toll on families.

Abuse, of course, is not simply physical.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 extended the definition of abuse, emphasising that it “can also be emotional, controlling or coercive, and economic” (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/domestic-abuse-bill-2020-factsheets/domestic-abuse-bill-2020-overarching-factsheet).

The economic aspects of abuse is, I feel, why there is sometimes a reluctance on the part of some victims to report what has happened to police.

If, for instance, the person carrying out the abuse is a family’s main breadwinner, there is a fear that a criminal conviction could end their career with the resulting economic impact possibly compounding the effects of abuse.

There are also men and women for whom abuse has been so much a feature of their relationships for so long that they fail to regard themselves as victims.

That often continues to be the case until there is a singular event which causes them to realise what has happened.

Even then, many prefer to speak with family lawyers rather than police out of a belief that they may not be taken seriously.

In the absence of a willingness to press criminal charges, there are still very practical things which the family court system can do.

Individuals can apply for two types of court order – non-molestation and occupation orders – to prevent further abuse.

Put simply, a non-molestation order is an injunction stopping harm or harassment, while an occupation order determines who can live at a particular property, such as a family home.

They operate in a similar way to bail conditions and those subject to them can be arrested or further action taken by the family court if the terms of either order are breached.

More data – this time published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) – shows that the number of  non-molestation orders has increased by 27 per cent in the last five years (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-court-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2024/family-court-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2024).

In my opinion, it shows how seriously the family courts take the issue of domestic abuse and its potential to have lasting consequences for victims, be they adults or children.

There is, though, only so much that family law can do. In essence, we mostly find ourselves dealing with the results of abusive conduct.

The onus on developing techniques to eradicate it generally falls on politicians and police.

On the same day as the latest ONS’ figures were released, the College of Policing announced a pilot of new tougher anti-abuse measures (https://www.college.police.uk/article/new-pilot-domestic-abuse-protection-notices-and-orders).

There has also been media coverage asking whether new AI platforms might be able to help (https://www.frontline100.com/about).

Whether the answer lies in technology, policing tactics, the family courts or further legislation, it is critically important for those affected to know that assistance is available to enable them to escape the scourge of abuse and rebuild their lives.