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The £81 million scheme aims to prioritise prevention, better support victims, and build a stronger system against an issue that impacted 2.3 million people last year alone.
In the last year, around 2.3 million people in England and Wales have experienced domestic abuse, with around one in five of the UK’s reported homicides during that time allegedly related to this form of violence specifically.
The issue is thought to have been exacerbated by pandemic-induced lockdowns, which saw a 61% increase in the number of calls and referrals to helplines between April 2020 and February 2021 alone.
For this reason, the government has just unveiled its Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan, which aims to prioritise prevention, better support victims, and build a stronger system overall.
Announced on Wednesday, it came mere hours after a shocking report by the Centre for Women’s Justice which revealed that female survivors are being ‘irrationally criminalised’ across the nation as perpetrators continue to manipulate the justice system as a means of exerting their control.
‘Domestic abuse is a devastating crime that ruins lives,’ said Home Secretary Priti Patel, who is spearheading the £81 million scheme as part of the government’s Beating Crime initiative.
‘For far too long the focus has been on what the victim might have done differently, rather than on the behaviour of the perpetrators themselves. This must now change.’
‘My Domestic Abuse Plan focuses on taking the onus off victims and making it easier for them to access the help and support they need, while taking tough action against perpetrators.’
Striving to deliver provisions set out in the Domestic Abuse Act, the plan is exploring options for a new register for domestic abusers, which could require them to report to the police when they move homes or open a bank account with a different partner.
