Women’s Aid responds to ONS statistics

Responding to the Office of National Statistics’ estimated prevalence figures on domestic abuse in England and Wales, published today, Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, said:  

“The ONS publication today provides important information about the scale of domestic abuse in England and Wales, but it is vital we acknowledge that, as many survivors do not report to the police, this is likely to be the tip of the iceberg. We must also consider the gendered nature of abuse, as these statistics show: for instance, in 73% of domestic abuse-related crimes last year, the victim was female. 

“While women and men both experience incidents of inter-personal violence and abuse and must receive the support that meets their needs, it is clearly evidenced that women are considerably more likely to experience repeated abuse and far more likely to be killed by a current or ex-partner. The vast majority of perpetrators of domestic abuse are male, regardless of who the victim is, and we need to ensure that the gendered nature of this crime is considered whenever these statistics are being used to inform policy, practice, services and the way they are commissioned.”