Domestic abuse reports rise by 23 per cent in Walsall

Figures presented to Walsall Council’s scrutiny overview committee showed the total number of annual incidents recorded had risen by more than 1,000 cases for each of the last three years.

A draft new Domestic Abuse Strategy has been put together with the aim of rebuilding trust in the system and “turning victims into victors”.

Councillor Garry Perry, deputy leader and resilient communities, said – in 2018/19 – just over 3,600 domestic abuse offences were reported to Walsall police.

He said that, in 2019/20, this figure had increase by 26 per cent with 4,674 reports being received. And he added this had gone up a further 23 per cent in the following year – meaning more than 5,700 reports were made in 2020/21.

Other statistics revealed 79 per cent of the victims were female and 21 per cent were men. Domestic abuse accounted for 31.5 per cent of all violent crime in Walsall while 20 per cent of all youth crime is related to domestic abuse.

Councillor Perry said the authority had been given £700,000 Government funding to support work in Walsall around the new Domestic Abuse Bill.

Once the Walsall strategy is agreed, it will go to the secretary of state for final approval.

Councillor Perry said: “The new law not just gives the focus to people who suffer physical abuse but it includes, emotional abuse, coercive or controlling abuse, economic abuse and enshrines in law and Claire’s Law – the domestic violence disclosure scheme.

“What we want to do is use the full powers of the law through the strategy we are working on.

“We want to turn all those victims into victors.

“We know we will never have a victimless society. That is the reality of the situation but we need to rebuild confidence in the system.

“It will revolutionise how we manage domestic abuse here in Walsall with focus not just on perpetrators but support for the victims and raising awareness to deliver change.

“We will join up with partners, share data and intelligence which is in just one place.

“In Walsall, it is fair to say we struggle with repeat offences more than anything else and again there is something to be said about figures that people are at least reporting domestic abuse.

“As always, how that translates into a court situation is where the difficulties lie and giving them confidence to follow through the reports and see it through to the end with arrests made and victims supported.

“We need to all own this situation and take social responsibility for it as a community.”

Committee member Aftab Nawaz said: “It is horrid to see domestic abuse and know that it goes on. All of us have to be advocates for calling it out and pointing out it is wrong in all circumstances.”