Home Office written question – answered at on 30 September 2020.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in levels of domestic abuse during the covid-19 outbreak in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England.
We are in regular contact with the police, Domestic Abuse Commissioner and domestic abuse organisations to assess and monitor any trends in domestic abuse during the Covid-19 outbreak. However, some data is provisional and not readily available in relation to individual cities or regional areas.
Domestic abuse helplines have reported significant increases in calls during lockdown, although it is not possible to determine the incidence of domestic abuse from these. Some of the increases may for example be due to increased awareness or enquiries from friends or families. What is critical is that victims are able to reach out for advice or support if they need to do so. The government has provided support to domestic abuse organisations to help ensure that this continues to be the case.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) May, June and July 2020 releases of demands on the police forces in England and Wales during the Covid-19 pandemic indicated a rise in domestic abuse incidents during the lockdown period compared to the same periods last year using provisional data from police forces. In the four weeks up to 5 July this was 6% higher than the same period last year.
Yes1 person thinks so
No0 people think not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.