Whatever form it takes,
domestic violence is rarely a one off incident. It is more usually part of
a recurring pattern of abusive and violent behaviour which is frequently
not reported.
On average two women
per week lose their lives as a result of domestic violence. 45% women and
26% men had experienced at least one incident of inter-personal violence in
their lifetimes, however when there were more than 4 incidents 89% of
victims were women. In any one year, there are 13 million separate
incidents of physical violence or threats of violence against women from
partners or former partners.
The Government response
to Domestic Violence sends a clear message that it is unacceptable and
perpetrators will not be tolerated. Legislation has been put in place
through the 'Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004', which includes
a provision that makes Common Assault (one of the most frequent crimes
associated with Domestic Violence) an arrestable offence. Special
Domestic Violence Courts (SDVCs), Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences
(MARACs), and Homicide Reviews are being introduced to improve the criminal
justice interventions for domestic violence cases. Independent Domestic
Violence Advisors (IDVAs) are being recruited and trained to provide
support to victims / survivors.
A
t a regional level, an audit has recently been
conducted into all support services available to a victim of Domestic
Violence in South West. The results of this audit have been published
online and distributed to various agencies (both voluntary and statutory)
throughout the region. This document can be downloaded below and is
regularly updated.
Government Office for
the South West (GOSW) also has a Regional Domestic Violence Lead, who
supports the development of local services and monitors the performance of
Domestic Violence interventions across the region.
At a local level,
Domestic Violence Co-ordinators support multi-agency partnerships and
forums in the delivery of comprehensive domestic violence services in line
with the National Action Plan and other Government directives and
guidance.
Contact details of the
South West Domestic Violence Co-ordinators can be downloaded
below.
For more details on the
nature and extent
