Domestic abuse victims are being failed by the criminal justice system at every stage
The Victims' Commissioner welcomes the Domestic Abuse Commissioner's report: "I echo Dame Nicole’s alarm at these findings and share her urgent call for reform."
Domestic abuse victims are being failed by the criminal justice system at every stage – from police to probation – according to a report published today by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner.
The report, Shifting the scales: Transforming the criminal justice response to domestic abuse, finds that victims routinely face a lack of specialist service referrals, poor enforcement of protective orders, court delays and early release of abusers as they seek safety and justice.
In an alarming new statistic, the Commissioner, Dame Nicole Jacobs, indicates police are failing to root out abusers within their own ranks – only 4% of alleged domestic abuse perpetrators in the police workforce are dismissed.
The report stresses that these failures could derail the government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls by 2030, as confidence in the system is already at a historic low, with less than one in five victims reporting abuse to the police.
Dame Nicole Jacobs, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, is calling for urgent reform, including stronger accountability for criminal justice agencies to ensure that victims receive consistent, effective responses, no matter where they live or who they are.
Responding to the report, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, said:
Victims and survivors of domestic abuse must be able to trust in our criminal justice system—that it will provide a robust, trauma-informed response that prioritises their safety while holding perpetrators accountable. Yet this welcome report from the Domestic Abuse Commissioner lifts the lid on the harsh reality of our criminal justice response to domestic abuse.
Domestic abusers have no place in our police forces, but this report makes clear that victims of police-perpetrated domestic abuse continue to be let down. Far from enforcing a zero-tolerance approach, police chiefs are failing to root out abusers within their own ranks.
The report also exposes system-wide failings, including a lack of understanding of abuse dynamics within policing and the judiciary. Poor enforcement of protective orders, an under-resourced probation service, and long court delays all contribute to a system that erodes trust and puts victims at greater risk.
Too often, victims are left in the dark due to poor communication. Making more domestic abuse victims eligible for the Victim Contact Scheme would be a welcome first step towards increasing confidence and trust by keeping victims informed about the status of their offender. Most survivors are currently excluded—this must change.
I echo Dame Nicole’s alarm at these findings and share her urgent call for reform. Without decisive reform, the government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls is at risk, and more victims of domestic abuse will continue to be failed by the very system meant to protect them.
ENDS