The facts:
- Two women are killed every week in England and Wales by a current or former partner (Office of National Statistics, 2015)
- 1 in 4 women in England and Wales will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes and 8% will suffer domestic violence in any given year (Crime Survey of England and Wales, 2013/14)
- On average the police receive an emergency call relating to domestic abuse every 30 seconds. (HMIC, 2014)
- Domestic cases now account for 14.1% of all court prosecutions, and the volume of prosecutions rose this year to the highest level ever of 92,779 . 92.4% of defendants were male and 7.6% were women. 84% of victims were female and 16% were male. (Crown Prosecution Service, VAWG report 2014/15)
Many women endure abuse for a long period of time before they report the violence or leave the situation. Some never leave.
The impact of domestic abuse can be devastating and far-reaching. Violence against women has serious consequences for their physical and mental health. Many survivors suffer physical harm, which can have fatal consequences. Besides the obvious physical injuries abused women are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, psychosomatic systems, eating problems and post traumatic disorder. Sustained abuse may also trigger suicide attempts or psychotic episodes.
