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Domestic violence up a third in four years - Huhne

Mon, 14 Sep 2009

The number of incidents of domestic violence reported to the police has risen by a third in the last four years but fewer than one in fifteen incidents resulted in a court conviction last year, research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

The figures, contained in an answer to a Parliamentary Question, show that:

• In 2007-08, only 6.4% (43,970) of the 686,272 reported incidents of domestic violence reported to the police resulted in a conviction in court
  
  
• The number of recorded incidents of domestic violence has risen by 30% in the last four years, from 529,295 in 2004-05 to 686,272 in 2007-08
  
  
• The number of women being prosecuted for domestic violence has risen by 171% in the last five years, from 1,575 in 2004-05 to 4,266 in 2008-09. Prosecutions of men are up 86% in the same period
  
  
• The number of women convicted of domestic violence is up 268% in five years, from 806 in 2004-05 to 2,968 in 2008-09. Convictions of men are up 144% in the same period (from 18,659 to 45,484)
  
  
• The Liberal Democrats have recently launched policies to improve education about domestic violence, improve systems to report abuse and ensure that all victims of domestic abuse have access to violence against women services