On 17th July 2018, the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee began examining the Domestic Abuse Bill. As part of the inquiry, the Committee intend to explore not only what should be included in the legislation, but also what other non-legislative policies should be included, for the legislation to be the most effective.

Official data has revealed that teenage girls and single parents are among the most likely victims of domestic abuse. Statistics have found that 7.6% of 16-19 year old girls had been the victim of abuse by a partner or ex-partner in the last 12 months, with 7.4% of 20-24 year olds also experiencing domestic abuse from a partner or ex-partner.

Shocking statistics have been revealed confirming that 1 in 13 women in Yorkshire and the Humber have experienced domestic abuse in the last year. Figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that 7.7% of all women aged 16 to 59 in this region were victims of domestic abuse at least once in the last year. Alarmingly, this means that an estimated 119,500 women and girls in Yorkshire and the Humber suffered abuse in 2017.

Domestic abuse is a widespread issue across the UK. It is well reported that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will experience domestic abuse throughout their life time. The UK’s leading children’s charity, Barnardo’s, has responded to the recent consultation on the Domestic Abuse and Violence Bill. Barnardo’s say that children affected by domestic violence and abuse need specialist services to help them deal with trauma and have the chance to lead healthy and happy lives.

For every 3 victims of domestic abuse 2 will be women and 1 will be a man. Domestic abuse effects both genders. It also effects people from every kind of background and culture. Statistics show that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will suffer domestic abuse during their lifetime. Given these statistics, there is every chance that a friend or relative of your own could be suffering from domestic abuse.

New sentencing guidelines, which are to come into force in May, represent a significant change in the way Courts deal with domestic abuse cases. For the first time, guidance will state that domestic abuse in the home environment should be treated more seriously than those crimes committed by strangers. Additionally, the guidance will include recognition of differing types of domestic abuse, such as threats on social media.

Recent figures published by the Department for Education for 2016/2017 show that there were 646,120 referrals to children’s services during this period. These figures amount to 1,770 referrals every single day. This a rise of 4% on the previous year.

Clare’s Law was introduced in 2014 following the horrific murder of Clare Wood. Clare’s Law allows people to request information from the police regarding whether or not there is any record of previous domestic violence. There are two types of information disclosures available from Clare’s Law. A “right to ask” where a person asks for information about a person or a “right to know” where a police force can provide the information without being asked to do so in order to warn potential victims.