Domestic Violence Awareness Month – A Reflection On The Shocking Statistics Surrounding Domestic Violence In The UK – Corporate/Commercial Law

An article on the BBC website jumped out at me today: When a cobra became a murder weapon in India – BBC
News.

It was a macabre report from India where a husband was sentenced
to a double life sentence for buying a snake (a spectacled cobra)
which he then used as a way to murder his wife. During the case, it
came to light that he had already tried the same thing some months
earlier with a different snake (a Russell’s viper). The wife
had survived the viper’s bite and was actually recovering at
her parents’ house at the time the husband arrived with the
cobra.

To me, this incident has strong echoes of florid detective
fiction from the Victorian era (for example Sherlock Holmes and the
Speckled Band) and it is tempting to file this away as something
completely out of the ordinary that happened a long way from
home.

Well, we may be right to do so when considering snake-based
murders in the UK but sadly, murders in the UK perpetrated by a
partner or ex-partner remain a shockingly common occurrence.

The direct link between domestic abuse and murder can sometimes
be forgotten. This thought was reinforced when I attended a
workshop given by the charity, SafeLives, at the Resolution Family Practice
Conference this week. SafeLives are a UK-wide charity dedicated to
ending domestic abuse, for everyone and for good. The workshop
started with some key statistics about domestic abuse in England
and Wales which included that:

• each year nearly two million people in the UK suffer some form
  of domestic abuse




• each year more than a hundred thousand people in the UK are at
  imminent risk of being murdered or seriously injured as a result of
  domestic abuse




• each month, seven women are killed by a current or former
  partner in England and Wales 

These are just a few of the statistics surrounding domestic
abuse that are reported on the SafeLives website as taken from
their own work as well as that of the Office of National
Statistics.

This led me to reflect on another recent BBC article on domestic
abuse. This highlighted the dramatic rise in domestic abuse
cases being both reported and also dropped by the police in England
and Wales. The reason that this happens is down to the six month
time limit to charge someone for common assault. More reports
seemingly lead to more cases reaching this time limit and so being
dropped; nearly 13,000 cases over five years. The article also
referred to a report by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary
that three-quarters of all domestic abuse cases, including sexual
assaults, are closed early without the suspect being charged.

Reading such articles, domestic abuse seems a problem that is
getting worse not better and even with the excellent work of
charities like SafeLives and other professional bodies to raise
awareness, provide education and training to seek to reduce and, if
possible, eradicate domestic abuse there is no quick
fix.  

Already within the family law profession the level of knowledge,
experience and expertise that we can deploy to help clients facing
such situations is huge and the day-to-day work by family
practitioners the length and breadth of the country is amazing but
we cannot rest on our laurels. Given the strain and resource
deficit of public bodies such as the police and the courts, the
role of family law professionals is only going to grow. It is
important that our awareness and knowledge of domestic abuse and
how best to act for our clients in these circumstances keeps pace
with advances in this area.

It can be hard to see any positives when talking about domestic
abuse, but, having attended workshops at the Resolution Family
Practice Conference and having spoken to colleagues and friends
within the legal profession, it is clear that the level of
awareness of domestic abuse and the impact it can have on families
continues to grow at a significant rate. The opportunities for
education and training, not just for those within the legal
profession, is also increasing which can only be a good thing.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month which we support at
Russell-Cooke. As part of the ongoing efforts to raise awareness in
this area, I would mention our online Domestic abuse hub. This is an
excellent general resource with easy to follow guidance on where to
find support (including through the police, specialist charities
and the court system) and what your legal and other options are if
you are or know a victim of domestic abuse.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general
guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought
about your specific circumstances.