Domestic Abuse

Despite the introduction of the new Domestic Abuse bill and the inclusion of additional offences many victims still suffer in silence and some perpetrators do not appreciate that their actions are now a criminal offence. There is still some way to go to ensure that public attitudes do not enable nor tolerate domestic abuse.

This was highlighted recently by comments made during an edition of Question Time  relating to alleged domestic abuse by a high profile figure.  The comments sparked controversy as they inferred that friends of the alleged perpetrator had said that ‘it was a one off’.

Included within the response by the chief executive of Women’s Aid was the following:

…….. We know at Women’s Aid that domestic abuse is rarely, if ever, a ‘one-off’, with the vast majority of abuse being a pattern of behaviour that includes different forms of abuse.”. Even if abuse is an isolated event, it would have still been domestic abuse, and this should never be minimised.”

Any incident of domestic abuse is wholly unacceptable and should not be tolerated.

In April 2021 the government introduced the new Domestic Abuse Law which extended offences to include:

• extending the controlling or coercive behaviour offence to cover post-separation abuse
• explicitly recognise children as victims if they see, hear or experience the effects of  abuse
• establish in law the office of Domestic Abuse Commissioner and set out the Commissioner’s functions and powers
• placing a duty on local authorities in England to provide support to victims of domestic abuse and their children in refuges and other safe accommodation  The law sets out to support all victims across England and Wales by tackling the ‘postcode lottery’ of services.
• provide that all eligible homeless victims of domestic abuse automatically have ‘priority need’ for homelessness assistance
• place the guidance supporting the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (“Clare’s law”) on a statutory footing

Protective measures were also put in place to protect victims when cases do go to the court so that abusers are no longer allowed to directly cross-examine their victims and prevent intimidation by providing protective screens and giving evidence via video link.

Police and courts were given new powers including Domestic Abuse Protection Notices. These give victims immediate protection from abusers.

If you are experiencing violence or any form of abuse or have been threatened with violence by your partner, Spectrum Family Law can advise you of the options available to you and, if applicable, your children. Injunction proceedings can be issued swiftly, depending on the circumstances of your case, to provide you with the protection of the court.

Any injunction is intended to be an emergency solution and can be limited in time but for a sufficient length of time to allow the situation to calm.

Contact Spectrum Family Law on 01279 799598 or email contact@spectrumfamilylaw.com