Tag: domestic violence

Landmark package to pursue domestic abuse perpetrators

Victims of domestic abuse to be protected under a £53 million drive to target most dangerous offenders in England and Wales

Thousands more women and children will be better protected from domestic abuse through the direct targeting of perpetrators, the Home Secretary has announced.

Backed by a £53 million investment over the next 4 years, domestic abuse perpetrators who pose the highest risk will be forced to change their behaviour and stop their offending as more police and agencies roll out tactics shown to reduce abuse.

It will form a central part of the government’s Plan for Change and pledge to tackle the epidemic of domestic abuse, which sees the police record a domestic abuse-related crime every 30 seconds.

The Drive Project has been piloted since 2016 to address the root causes of abuse through intensive one-to-one case management for up to 12 months. This includes using protection orders to keep offenders away from victims, alongside work to address drug misuse and alcohol dependency. A dedicated independent domestic violence advisor (IDVA) supports the victim in parallel, ensuring their safety and needs are prioritised at every stage. 

The results have seen percentages of perpetrators using physical abuse cut by 82%, sexual abuse by 88%, stalking behaviours by 75% and jealous and controlling behaviours by 73%.

The multi-million pound investment will see up to 15 new areas going live by March 2026, with full roll-out across England and Wales to follow.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The roll out of these new programmes means the relentless pursuit of perpetrators who pose a risk to women and girls whether they operate at home or on the streets – and intervening early to prevent further harm.

“Through our mission to make our streets safer, we will take every opportunity to challenge and change dangerous behaviours, intensively monitor and manage perpetrators who pose a risk, and give victims the support they need to take back their lives.”

The Drive Partnership, a consortium of 3 organisations – Respect, SafeLives, and Social Finance – is working to end domestic abuse and protect victim-survivors. The Drive Project is their flagship intervention working with those causing harm in their relationships to prevent abusive behaviour.

Rolling out The Drive Project demonstrates that the government is committed to doing things differently, working closely with civil society and bringing experts into policy development to improve the lives of working people. Today’s announcement comes ahead of the Civil Society Summit being held on Thursday 17 July, where the Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips will join a violence against women and girls panel with Beyond Equality, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner and Minister Davies-Jones.

Alongside tackling domestic abuse, the government is also funding 3 police forces to step up efforts to prevent predatory behaviour in public spaces and night time economy venues through Project Vigilant.

Currently being trialled by Thames Valley Police, alongside several other forces across the country, specially trained plain-clothed officers are patrolling nightlife hotspots to hunt down predatory behaviour, with uniformed officers then stepping in to keep the public safe.

A further £230,000 will enable specialist deployments in 3 police forces, support the trial of new tools – including sniffer dogs trained to detect drugs commonly used in spiking – and help to gather evidence on how the approach works in different settings.

Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips said: “Through bold initiatives like the Drive Project and Project Vigilant, we’re going after perpetrators wherever they pose a threat.

“We are shifting the focus onto those who cause harm, challenging dangerous behaviours and making it clear that the responsibility for ending abuse lies with perpetrators, not those who suffer from it.

Through our mission to make our streets safer, every penny we invest in holding perpetrators to account is a step towards a better and safer future for every victim.”

The Drive Project will be delivered in partnership with police and crime commissioners, police forces, domestic abuse services and the Drive Partnership, and supported by national training and resources.

Case managers work closely with high-risk perpetrators for up to 12 months, building their capacity to manage emotions and relationships differently, removing opportunities for abuse through close monitoring and disruption tactics and ensuring dedicated support for victims.

Interventions are tailored to each perpetrator’s risk level and pattern of abuse and can include:

  • disruption tactics such as police intervention and the use of protection orders
  • engagement with social services to safeguard families and children
  • alternative accommodation to prevent perpetrators from returning to victims’ homes
  • addressing drug and alcohol dependencies that can fuel abusive behaviour
  • behaviour change to address patterns of control and violence
  • monitoring and accountability to prevent reoffending
  • dedicated support for victims to help them rebuild their lives and move on

The Drive Partnership welcomes today’s Home Office announcement of a £53 million investment over four years to expand the Drive Project to increase the safety of victim-survivors of domestic abuse, in all communities, by putting the focus on the perpetrators.

This is the result of ten years of working in partnership across specialist domestic abuse services and statutory agencies, and would not be possible without the collaboration of a wide range of both statutory and non-statutory partners, and the ongoing support of a range of funders, including the National Lottery Community Fund, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and Treebeard Trust.

The Drive Project is the Drive Partnership’s flagship intervention for high-risk, high-harm, perpetrators of domestic abuse. This investment will see local service providers working together with the Drive Partnership and across all agencies to deliver the Drive Project throughout England and Wales.

The Drive Partnership and its Board are pleased that the Government has committed to halving violence against women and girls within a decade. Alongside the need for well-funded local support and recovery services for victim-survivors, targeting perpetrators to address the root causes of violence and abuse will be essential.

The Drive Project is an evidence-based service, delivered by specialist local service providers, that increases the safety of adult and child victim-survivors of domestic abuse and helps prevent future victims by targeting perpetrators and using multi-agency working to disrupt and stop abuse. It always includes dedicated support for victim-survivors and families.

The Home Office’s investment into the expansion of the Drive Project aligns with the Drive Partnership’s 2024 Call for Further Action recommendation for consistent and evidence-informed multi-agency responses to high-risk, high-harm perpetrators across all areas.

This Call for Further Action, supported by over 100 organisations, was developed with the input of the Action on Perpetrators Network, the Drive Partnership delivery and co-production partners, and SafeLives Pioneers. 

It also calls for recognition across government that domestic abuse is everyone’s business.  It is not solely a criminal justice issue, but requires cross-departmental investment.  This is a priority that the Network will continue to pursue.

The Drive Partnership has been working to end domestic abuse and protect victim-survivors in all communities for over a decade; marking 10-years of disrupting, challenging, and changing the behaviour of those who are causing harm, using a consistently evidence-informed approach.

The Drive Partnership looks forward to expanding this work to protect victim-survivors, in close collaboration with specialist domestic abuse organisations and statutory partners, and would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone involved.

Shana Begum, SafeLives Pioneer & lived experience expert, said, “Perpetrator interventions are vital to breaking the cycle of domestic abuse – as a SafeLives Pioneer, I strongly believe that we have to stop asking “Why doesn’t she leave?”, and start asking “Why doesn’t he stop?”, and that is what the Drive Partnership puts into action.

“After working closely with the Drive Partnership for a number of years, I’m pleased to see this expansion across all areas in England and Wales so that the responsibility of domestic abuse is placed firmly on those causing harm.”

Kyla Kirkpatrick, Director of the Drive Partnership, said, “We welcome this investment from the Home Office into the expansion of the Drive Project across England and Wales because victim-survivors tell us that as well as more support for themselves, they want and need better responses to the people causing harm in their lives.

“They need them to be seen, held to account and stopped. The Drive Project does that and with ten years of delivery, development and evaluation behind us we know that it works. 

!This work can only happen if the focus is absolutely on the safety and wellbeing of the victim-survivors. This investment will see the vast majority of funding flow directly to local domestic abuse perpetrator services and victim-survivor support services, and we will be working in partnership with local services to ensure that the Drive Project is tailored to meet the needs of local communities.

“We look forward to the forthcoming VAWG strategy to support victim-survivor services with much-needed investment and cross-departmental commitment.” 

Rosie Jarvis, Deputy Director of the Drive Partnership, said, “We warmly welcome the Home Office’s investment in the expansion of the Drive Project, which we know through its evidence base has a significant impact on harm and risk reduction in perpetrators and increased safety for victim-survivors.

“This investment and expansion will be a significant step towards addressing the postcode lottery of responses to high-risk, high-harm, and serial perpetrators and breaking the costly cycle of domestic abuse.”

Jess Asato MP, said, “Too often we ask why domestic abuse victims don’t leave, instead of asking why perpetrators don’t stop their abuse – so this landmark investment by the Government is incredibly welcome.

“was proud to work on the early stages of the Drive Partnership which, through its innovative, evidence-driven approach, has proven that we can make victims safer and change perpetrator behaviour.

“This investment will be one important step towards achieving the Government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls.” 

Detective Superintendent Jon Capps, Head of Rape and Sexual Offences and Project Vigilant at Thames Valley Police, said: “We welcome funding which supports vital proactive initiatives to disrupt those who behave in a predatory manner and offend against women and girls.

“Our Project Vigilant officers are specially trained to spot predatory behaviour, intervening and preventing it escalating into an offence.

“This year we have conducted 50 Vigilant deployments across the Thames Valley, all of which highlight our commitment to keep people safe, specifically in the night time economy and increasingly with large public events.

“Our aim is to take a suspect-focused approach, creating safer public spaces and building trust and confidence in our policing response.”

Michael Kill, CEO, Night Time Industries Association: “We welcome today’s announcement and fully support the government’s £53 million package to target the most dangerous domestic abuse perpetrators. A perpetrator-focused approach is essential – accountability must lie with those who commit these crimes, not the women who endure them.

“We understand that predatory behaviour is a pervasive issue within society and must be addressed wherever it occurs – across communities, public spaces, and institutions. Over recent years, the industry has worked hard to drive awareness and put robust mitigations in place – through staff training, use of CCTV, awareness campaigns and strengthened partnerships with key stakeholders and policing.

“Today’s announcement – particularly the expansion of the Drive Project and Project Vigilant, as well as the introduction of specially-trained officers to address predatory behaviour – is a vital step toward tackling the root causes of abuse. It will provide greater protection for women and support operators in disrupting harmful behaviours early.

“The NTIA is committed to supporting the government’s Plan for Change and its goal to halve violence against women within a decade. We will continue working closely with government, policing, and local authorities to embed a perpetrator-focused culture of safety and accountability throughout the night time economy.”

This investment comes after the government announced a boost of nearly £20 million in support for victims of abuse, including £6 million for helplines which can offer life-saving support.

A relentless pursuit of perpetrators will form a central part of the government’s upcoming strategy on violence against women and girls, shifting the burden of safety away from victims and onto the perpetrators responsible for these devastating crimes. The strategy will also set out action to transform the system’s response to VAWG, including on prevention, early intervention, enforcement and victim support.

Crimestoppers launches campaign in Scotland to tackle domestic violence

Crimestoppers Scotland is today (Wednesday 9 July 2025) spotlighting how the charity can empower people to speak out against domestic violence.

As part of the month-long national campaign -an initiative dedicated to tackling domestic abuse and violence against women and girls (VAWG) across Scotland – the charity is urging the public to come forward with vital information.

This campaign will specifically target males aged 18 and above, with a focus on reaching those attending sporting events across Scotland. By raising awareness and encouraging reporting, Crimestoppers aims to confront this critical issue—one that continues to devastate communities nationwide.

Domestic abuse can take many forms—physical, psychological, emotional, sexual, or financial. Often, neighbours, family, and friends may suspect abuse but hesitate to intervene due to embarrassment, split loyalties, or fear of revenge.

Crimestoppers in Scotland has shared nearly 400 anonymous reports about domestic abuse with police and partners, and 350 reports concerning rape and sexual offences from April 2024 to March 2025.

These figures highlight the urgent need for collective action.

Angela Parker, National Manager Crimestoppers Scotland, said: “Domestic abuse and violence against women and girls is a serious issue that affects far too many people in Scotland. We hope to empower more people—especially men—to speak out and play a part in ending this violence.

“If you suspect domestic abuse, don’t stay silent. Your voice could be the key to protecting someone from harm. Speak out anonymously—because everyone deserves safety and support.”

Please note: With Crimestoppers-uk.org and Fearless.org, computer IP addresses are never traced and no-one will ever know you contacted them. For telephone calls to Crimestoppers via 0800 555 111, there is no caller line display, no 1471 facility and calls have never been traced.

Costs of leaving abusive relationships to be explored by MSPs

Victims of domestic abuse are among those invited to share their views as part of a Scottish Parliament inquiry into the financial implications of leaving an abusive relationship.

The Social Justice and Social Security Committee is running the inquiry to find out what support women leaving abusive relationships can access, how public sector and social security rules and practices take account of financial issues in these circumstances and how much information and advice women have access to.

Since 2018-19, Police Scotland has recorded over 60,000 incidents of domestic abuse each year, however, research from Scottish Women’s Aid suggests that the actual figure is much higher as not all incidents are reported to the police.

Reports of domestic abuse can rise substantially over the Christmas period, a time when family finances can be at their most stretched. Research from charities including Refuge and Women’s Aid has found that this, alongside the pressures caused by the cost-of-living crisis, can effectively trap victims of domestic abuse.

The Committee’s inquiry will explore economic abuse, a form of coercive control where an abuser restricts a person’s ability to get, use and keep money or other economic resources.

It is also likely to cover the Scottish Government’s work on violence against women and girls, including its Fund to Leave pilot project and its Equally Safe strategy. The Fund to Leave offered women up to £1,000 to pay for the essentials they need when leaving a relationship with an abusive partner and was delivered by Women’s Aid groups.

Collette Stevenson, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said: “The Christmas period should be a time where women can get together with their families. But sadly for many women suffering from abuse Christmas can be a lonely and terrible time, with economic abuse trapping them in abusive relationships.

“We know that over 60,000 incidents of domestic abuse are reported to the Police in Scotland each year, and we want to use this inquiry to learn about the support available to women in this awful situation and get an idea of what else can be done.

“If you have any experience of this issue, or work for a charity or public body that supports women in this situation we want to hear from you. Share your views with us by responding to our call for views.”

The call for views opened on Friday 13 December, and will close on Thursday 20 February.

To ensure that people can respond in full, the Committee welcomes receiving anonymous responses, where appropriate.

Backing for proposal to reduce domestic homicides and suicides

A new approach aimed at reducing domestic abuse-related homicides and suicides has received overwhelming backing.

The proposals for a Domestic Homicide and Suicide Review Model would help identify what lessons can be learned and applied following the death of a partner, ex-partner, or child where abuse is suspected. Ministers hope that this will ultimately lead to fewer such deaths.

Nine out of 10 people who took part in a consultation – including those with direct experience of domestic abuse and bereavement – backed the Scottish Government’s plans.

There was also substantial support for the inclusion in the Model of cases involving violent-resistant homicide, where the victim kills the perpetrator of abuse.

The Model will now be developed by the Scottish Government’s Domestic Homicide and Suicide Review Taskforce, Model Development Subgroup and Task and Finish Groups.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “Nobody should die at the hands of a partner. While overall homicide rates are falling, there remains a significant number involving domestic abuse, where the vast majority of victims are women.

“Our plans would see agencies across justice, health and social care, the third sector and beyond work together to establish what could be done better. It is absolutely right that these reviews should also happen in cases of suicides, as well as homicides, where abuse has been a factor.

“By identifying areas for change and improvement, we can help to prevent further deaths and give a voice to those who have been killed.”

EmilyTest founder and CEO Fiona Drouet, who will chair the Domestic Abuse Related Suicide Task and Finish Group, said: “The decision for Scotland to include domestic abuse-related suicides in the new review model reflects a country that is progressive and recognises the extent of the harms caused by domestic abuse. This decision evidences that our Government values the voices of professionals and lived experience.

“After losing a loved one to suicide, families shouldn’t encounter obstacles when asking authorities to investigate further, regardless of whether the victim was known to domestic abuse services or not.

“These reviews will be absolutely pivotal in gaining valuable lessons and will go some way to helping us build a safer society.  It signifies a positive move towards understanding and addressing the complexities surrounding domestic abuse and its consequences. I feel very privileged to be invited to chair the Task and Finish group and, after losing our daughter in these circumstances, I wholeheartedly commit to working with valued colleagues in the field to get this right for everyone.”  

Head of the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Edinburgh John Devaney, who chairs the Model Development Subgroup, said: “The findings from the consultation on the key elements of the new domestic homicide and suicide review process is an important milestone in the considerations of the Taskforce.

“It is positive to note the overwhelming support for the core purpose of the review process, and the key aspects that the Taskforce should ensure are covered by future reviews. I’m very grateful to everyone who took the time to contribute, particularly those with experience of losing a family member to fatal domestic abuse.”

Domestic Homicide Reviews: Consultation Analysis

Domestic Abuse Act has begun to have a positive impact but more must be done, says Holyrood committee

‘a thousand words’ commissioned by Scottish Womens Aid and Zero Tolerance. Copyright Laura Dodsworth

The introduction of the 2018 Domestic Abuse Act has been an important step but more action is needed in implementing the Act and tackling domestic abuse, say the Criminal Justice Committee.

As part of post-legislative scrutiny, the Committee has been reviewing the impact of the 2018 Act and how effective it has been in achieving the objectives set out by the Scottish Government. The Act’s key provision created a new offence around non-physical forms of abuse such as coercive control.

The Committee say there is strong support for the 2018 Act amongst prosecutors, law enforcement, and women’s groups and that it is beginning to have an impact, including increasing prosecutions.

However, the Committee believe progress has been too slow and they have called on several issues to be addressed.

The Committee highlight issues with the practical implementation of the 2018 Act, particularly within the police service, the Crown Office and the courts. They call for a ‘short-life implementation group’ to be setup tasked with accelerating progress and tackling the issues raised in the Committee report.

On Police Scotland, the reports highlights delays in specialist training for officers on domestic abuse cases. The Committee says it does not doubt the service’s commitment to tackling domestic abuse and notes resource implications.

However, they say more must be done to ensure that any officer called to the scene of a domestic abuse incident has received relevant training and can recognise the types of situations covered by the Act, particularly those of a non-physical nature.

The Committee also highlight criticism of the current sentencing regime for crimes of domestic abuse and whether more can be done in relation to breaches of non-harassment orders.

They welcome the review of sentencing guidelines by the Scottish Sentencing Council but call on the Cabinet Secretary to consider whether current sentencing policy for offences and for breaches is providing adequate protection for victims.

The Committee voice concern over evidence received by Dr Claire Houghton, who says victims and survivors have described the process of reporting domestic abuse and participating in court trials as “unremittingly grim”.

The Committee highlight the introduction of the recent Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform Bill as an opportunity to tackle this issue and to ensure victims and survivors are not traumatised further when reporting these types of crimes.

Speaking as the report was published, Committee Convener, Audrey Nicoll MSP, said: “It’s clear the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 is supported across the sector and is an important part of efforts to tackle all forms of domestic abuse in Scotland. 

“However, there are undoubtedly still issues which need to be addressed.

“Evidence we have gathered has highlighted issues with implementing provisions in the Act, particularly across the police service, the Crown Office and the courts.

“We have concerns over the sentencing of crimes of this nature and on ensuring there is adequate and ongoing training so all police officers responding to domestic abuse cases can do so effectively.

The Convener added: “It is clear to the Committee that the original communication campaign around the 2018 Act was pivotal in raising public awareness of these issues at the time.

“We are calling on the Scottish Government to consider running an updated campaign, including one which targets children, as a way to continue to effectively highlight the various forms of domestic abuse.

“Domestic abuse as well as violence against women and girls is completely unacceptable and it is clear that more should be done to tackle this issue and support both victims and survivors.”

Other key recommendations in the report:

  • The Committee recommend the Scottish Government review how the use of an aggravator included in the Act is being implemented (as relates to the involvement of a child in domestic abuse cases).
  • The Committee highlight evidence that some perpetrators of domestic abuse seek to use the civil courts (e.g. through child custody and contact disputes) to further the abuse of their victims. They have asked the Cabinet Secretary to consider whether a pilot single court/judge model, when cases involve both civil and criminal matters, could help combat this.

One Year On: Progress in tackling violence against women and girls

Strategy highlights priority areas

As the United Nations campaign of 16 days of activism around violence against women begins, the Scottish Government has highlighted the actions it has taken to tackle the issue. Continue reading One Year On: Progress in tackling violence against women and girls

Safe and Together in North Edinburgh

Local training for child welfare professionals

Mother walking her baby boy on the beach for the first time. (sepia version)

The Safe and Together model has been developed to provide a better framework for dealing with the challenge of domestic violence. It is based on a set of core assumptions, principles and components which recognise that children are best served if we are able to keep them safe and together with the domestic violence survivor.  It provides a framework for working with the domestic violence survivor and intervening with the domestic violence perpetrator.

Sign up for a Safe and Together training session on Monday 7 December from 9.30am – noon at the North Edinburgh Local Office, 8 West Pilton Gardens.

Places are limited so please book early by emailing tracey.devenney@edinburgh.gov.uk or telephone 0131 529 5073

Scottish government moves to tackle violence against women

Scottish Government to consult on domestic abuse and sexual offences

16935493742_69719aa689_zProposals to help victims of Domestic Abuse and Sexual offences have been announced in a consultation by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Speaking at the Scottish Women’s Aid conference in Edinburgh yesterday, the First Minister confirmed that the consultation would seek views on how legislation can be used to better support victims of Domestic Abuse and Sexual offences.

In her address, the First Minister outlined that the consultation would look at five key areas, among them would be whether a specific offence of Domestic Abuse is required and if legislation to tackle the problem of so-called “revenge porn” – the posting, usually by ex-partners, of private, intimate images without consent is needed to provide further protection.

The First Minister told the delegates that the Scottish Government was committed to tackling all forms of violence against women and to the realization of women’s equality in our society. She said: ““Violence against women is both a symptom and a cause of wider gender inequality across our society. And so ending violence against women has to be part of a broader strategy – we also need to achieve true gender equality in society as a whole.

“And of course, that’s exactly what this Government is trying to do. Appointing a gender balanced cabinet; campaigning for gender equality in the boardroom; expanding childcare; and addressing gender stereotypes. We’re working to create an economy and a society where discrimination has no place. There is still a great deal to do, but this government is determined to take a lead.

Urging the delegates to take part in the consultation the First Minister said: “We are launching a far reaching consultation today on whether the current law on domestic abuse and sexual offences should be clarified and strengthened. I strongly encourage you to respond; the deadline is the 19th of June.

“Domestic abuse in law can be challenging therefore we need to ensure that our legislation commands wide support, anticipates possible pitfalls, and allows us to prosecute the people who perpetrate these crimes.

“If there is a consensus on what we need to do, we will legislate in this Parliament. But if we need to do further work with stakeholders to ensure we get this absolutely right, we will do so.

“Either way, we will make clear that on-going coercive and controlling behaviour is unacceptable; and that those who commit such crimes will face justice. We know that changing the law isn’t enough on its own – but it can play an important part in the wider social and cultural changes we want to bring about.”

cryLily Greenan, Scottish Womens Aid, Chief Executive, said: “It is twenty years since the Beijing Platform for Action laid out the work that should be undertaken globally to improve and protect women’s human rights. The Platform for Action identified violence against women as one of the critical areas of concern. We are delighted that the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women is able to join us in reviewing the progress we have made in Scotland since 1995 to tackle violence against women.

“Equal participation of women and men in decision making was also one of the goals of the Beijing declaration. It’s a particular pleasure therefore to welcome First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to the conference.

“Ms Sturgeon’s appointment demonstrates that some progress has been made on gender equality in the last twenty years. The conference will hear from frontline Women’s Aid workers how far this progress is reflected in the experiences of the women and children they support.”