Office for National Statistics: Domestic Abuse Figures
New figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that incidents of domestic abuse account for one in every ten crimes recorded by police.
1/3 of all violent crimes
Domestic abuse offences also account for a third of all reported violent crimes, according to the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales.
Areas in which domestic abuse is most common are the West Midlands, with 7.33 cases in every 100 adults, and Wales with an average of 7.07, whilst London is the least likely place for an offence to take place with just 4.57 cases in every 100 adults.
The report also confirms that there are more domestic homicide cases involving males killing females than cases where the female was the killer.
Domestic Abuse in England & Wales April 2015 – March 2016
• 1.8 million adults aged 16 – 59 experienced domestic abuse in the last year
• 1.2 million (64%) of those victims were female
• 651,000 (36%) were male
• A violent attack occurred in 78% of incidents
• Of those 1.8million adults, 1.03million reported the crime to police
• In 41% of all cases reported, police concluded that a domestic abuse incident had occurred
• Offenders were charged in 70% of cases referred to the Crown Prosecution Service by police
• Offenders pleaded guilty in 68% of those cases referred to the CPS
• Meaning 91% of recorded ‘successful cases’ in the last year were due to guilty pleas
Domestic homicide figures
Another topic the survey looked into was domestic homicides, which account for a third of all murders in England and Wales. According to the ONS, there have been 432 cases of domestic murders between April 2012 and March 2015. 315 (73%) of those victims were female while 27%, or 117, were male.
Of women killed by a current or ex-partner, 97% were killed by a male compared to women being the offender in a third of cases in which a male was murdered by a current or former partner.
Commenting on the figures relating to domestic abuse, Lucy Hastings, of the charity Victim Support said:
“It is harrowing to learn that last year, nearly 2 million adults experienced domestic abuse, including one in eight women aged 16 to 19.
“That the prevalence is so high among this age group demonstrates the importance of high-quality sex and relationships education being available to equip young people with the tools they need to understand healthy relationships, make safe choices and know how to seek advice and support.”
While Louisa Rolf, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on domestic abuse, said:
“The better our data, the better we understand domestic abuse as a crime and the more we can do to support victims and prevent harm, which is what really matters.
“However, this is only the first phase of a wider project and caution must be taken when interpreting the data or trying to make direct comparisons across different organisations, methodologies and points in time. For now, it should be used to stimulate thought rather than draw conclusions.”
Ms Rolf added that the statistics “do not currently represent the extent of our commitment to tackling domestic abuse and the scale of the challenge we face. It is still far too acceptable in society”. She went on to say:
“Reports to the police are continuing to rise, and the gap between experienced crime and recorded crime is narrowing. It is good to see more victims having the confidence to come forward and start to take back control from those who seek to control and intimidate them. Domestic abuse is a serious crime and never the fault of the victim. We are here to help.”
Abuse Claims – Expert Advice
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For an open and friendly conversation about your situation, and to find out how we can assist you relevant to your individual experience, call 0800 888 6888 or email
You will be given the direct-dial of your case handler, meaning that you will always be able to reach the person you need.
Source: Guardian
