Nearly one-in-five crimes recorded by South Yorkshire Police involve domestic abuse

Domestic abuse crimes more than doubled in South Yorkshire over the last six years – and tens of thousands were recorded during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, figures show.

Nearly 850,000 such crimes were reported to police forces across England and Wales last year, and that is merely “the tip of the iceberg”, according to charity Women's Aid.

Rates for many other crimes dropped that year, yet domestic abuse rose by six per cent nationally.

Home Office data shows 22,126 such offences were recorded by South Yorkshire Police in 2020-21, making up 17 per cent of all offences recorded – the equivalent of 16 for every 1,000 people in the area, up from 15 the previous year.

And the area has seen a 158 per cent rise in domestic abuse offences since 8,563 were logged in 2015-16, when records began.

The data shows women are disproportionately more likely to experience abuse and they have accounted for more than three-quarters of those killed in domestic homicides since 2018 nationally.

Farah Nazeer, chief executive of Women's Aid, said to tackle domestic abuse, society must work together to tackle the “inherent sexism and misogyny which underpin women's inequality and violence against them”.

She said: “Women will not report domestic abuse if they aren’t confident they will be believed and action will be taken on their behalf.”

The figures suggest most cases of domestic abuse will not see perpetrators charged, with just eight per cent of cases concluded nationally last year resulting in a charge or summons.

Ms Nazeer said work was needed to restore faith in policing after more than three quarters of investigations were dropped due to evidential difficulties nationally – more than half because the victim pulled out of the investigation.

The National Police Chiefs' Council lead for domestic abuse, assistant commissioner Louisa Rolfe, said the “complex and entrenched societal problem” was a policing priority and highlighted an increased number of victims reporting abuse in recent years.

She said forces could still pursue cases to keep victims safe, even when they are reluctant to support prosecution but said arresting offenders was a temporary respite from the problem.

She called for a multi-agency approach to provide effective and sustainable support and solutions.

A Home Office spokeswoman said the Government is committed to ending violence against women and girls.

She said funding had been doubled for 2021-22 to £25 million in an effort to tackle perpetrators.

In Sheffield, perpetrators of domestic violence are to be offered help changing their behaviour under a new programme being rolled out.

The programme is designed to help participants learn new skills and find better ways to manage and control their abusive behaviour, encouraging them to think and behave more positively to prevent harm to their partner, children and family in the future.

Places will be offered by official agencies to anyone aged over 16 who has a pattern of controlling abusive or violent behaviour against their partners, or other close relations.

Former South Yorkshire Police chief superintendent Natalie Shaw, the force’s strategic lead for violence against women and girls, said this week that it is a ‘sad reality’ that all women will experience some sort of violence during their lives.