Wales Ranks Joint Highest for Domestic Abuse Crime

Wales ranks joint highest for domestic abuse crime

Domestic abuse accounts for more than one in 10 of all crimes committed in Wales.

According to data published today by the ONS, twelve per cent of all offences in Wales between April 2015 and March 2016 were related to abuse in the home.

This is equivalent to some 22,572 domestic offences – 17,752 of which were violent – for the whole of Wales. Just over three quarters of these offences resulted in successful criminal prosecutions.

The figures recorded are at a higher rate than the North East, North West, Yorkshire, East Midlands and London, sitting joint-highest with the South West, South East and West Midlands.

South Wales was marked with the highest incidents of violent domestic abuse at 8,713.

Across Wales, the report states that 72,000 women were victims of domestic abuse against 34,000 men.

In the same period, 18 people were killed following a violent event in the home.

Commenting on the data, Welsh Conservative spokeswoman for social services, Suzy Davies AM, said:
“The data is truly alarming and starkly demonstrates that the problem of domestic abuse is more prevalent in Wales than other parts of the UK.

“I sincerely hope that these high figures can be attributed to women and men feeling more confident to report these crimes to the police.

“There is clearly still a mountain to climb, and police and dedicated support groups alone cannot be expected to prevent this large-scale abuse or properly support its victims.
“As Wales develops its own school curriculum, surely there is space in it to help all children grow up knowing what healthy relationships look like.”