On 23 July 2024, the first national analysis of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) was released by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). The NPCC have now declared that violence against women and girls in England and Wales is a “national emergency” and has “reached epidemic levels”.
Some of the figures included in the report are as follows:
- 20% of all police-recorded crimes fall under Violence against Women and Girls. This includes sexual assault, stalking, harassment, domestic violence, and controlling and coercive behaviour. This is of course only reported incidents, and the true total in this report is estimated to be twice as high.
- One in six homicides in England and Wales are linked to domestic abuse.
- Recorded cases of Violence against Woman and Girls increased by 37% between 2018 and 2023.
- At least 1 in 12 women will be a victim of violence per year.
Maggie Blyth, the police national lead for Violence Against Women and Girls, stated “Violence against women and girls is a national emergency. We need the support and direction of government to intervene and address the current problems within the criminal justice system and lead the way on a whole-system approach to VAWG.”
You can read more about this here.
The safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has acknowledged the report and stated “The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this government will treat it as the national emergency that it is.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, there are many organisations and professionals who can help, including our family department.
Some of the organisations available for support include:
- Women’s Aid: https://www.womensaid.org.uk/
- Changing Pathways: https://changingpathways.org/
- Refuge: https://refuge.org.uk/
This article was written by Olivia Boyd, a solicitor in the family department representing individuals in private and public law family proceedings. Olivia is contactable on 01268 240400 and oboyd@anthonyking.co.uk
