Fifth of offences during and after lockdown involved domestic abuse
One in five offences recorded by police during and immediately after the first national lockdown in England and Wales involved domestic abuse, figures show.
Police recorded more than a quarter of a million offences flagged as domestic abuse-related over March to June, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
The 259,324 offences represent a rise of seven per cent from the same period in 2019, and an 18 per cent rise from two years ago.
The ONS said the number of offences flagged as involving domestic abuse has been increasing over recent years, so it cannot be determined whether the rise is directly due to the pandemic.
In April, May and June roughly a fifth (21 per cent, 20 per cent and 19 per cent) of offences recorded by police were flagged as domestic abuse-related.
The number rose each month, with the biggest rise between April and May (nine per cent).
The easing of lockdown measures at this time may have made it safer for victims to seek help, the ONS said.
As restrictions eased, the proportion of offences that were domestic abuse-related fell slightly – likely to be due to overall police-recorded crime increasing following the lockdown.
Separate data collected by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services from 40 police forces shows there were 64,283 arrests for domestic abuse-related crimes between April and June.
This is a rise of almost a quarter (24 per cent) compared with the same period in 2019, when comparing numbers from 37 police forces that provided data for both years.
There was also a small (two per cent) rise in the number of child protection referrals as a result of domestic abuse-related incidents and crimes over the three months compared with the same period in 2019.
The ONS said the Metropolitan Police Service received 41,158 calls for domestic incidents between March 25 and June 10 – a 12 per cent rise from the same period in 2019.
While calls from victims remained at similar, sometimes lower levels, there was a large increase in the number of reports from third parties.
This is down to more people who would not usually be at home being able to observe and report incidents, and victims being in close proximity to their abuser with less opportunity to safely seek help, the ONS said.
The #YouAreNotAlone campaign, which launched in April, may also have increased awareness among members of the public to stay alert for signs of abuse.
Between April and June, the national domestic abuse helpline, run by Refuge, was contacted 40,397 times – up 65 per cent from the first three months of the year.
The helpline was contacted around 444 times a day on average at the height of the pandemic.
The ONS said the rise in calls does not necessarily show a rise in the number of victims, but it could represent an increase in severity of abuse and lack of usual coping mechanisms.
