Norfolk Police trialling new methods to tackle domestic abuse

It comes as Norfolk's Chief Constable admitted there's been a rise in reported cases locally.

Chief Constable Paul Sandford wants to put the focus on the perpetrator instead of the victim
Author: Tom ClabonPublished 15th Sep 2021

Norfolk Police say they'll be trialling new methods to root out domestic abuse in the county.

This comes after Chief Constable Paul Sandford admitted cases of this abuse are becoming increasingly prevalent in the area. He said, "we certainly know lockdown had an impact on the trends of domestic abuse".

Mr Sandford also told us that he wanted to change the way the crime is perceived and tackled and for the focus to be shifted from the victim to the perpetrator.

"We need to look at the causes of domestic abuse and work with the perpetrator and offer them a deal.

"Either they change their ways and rehabilitate or they face the full force of the law".

He went on to tell us that "too often we've been advising women to consider their own personal safety, it should by the perpetrator that changes their ways.

"What I want to do is increase the level of enforcement, make use of the new civil powers we have and bring more perpetrators to justice."

He also told us that the situation is "only going to improve when we properly educate young men what a healthy relationship looks like".

He argued that this wasn't the responsibility of schools, but that of parents across the county.

Mr Sandford also told us that violence towards women and girls by a stranger are "incredibly rare- the majority of cases that we record are of person that know each other".

He nevertheless accepted that "perceptions of safety are really important". This comes after he was told that three-quarters of women said they didn't feel safe when walking home on their own after a night out in Norwich, curtesy of Bauer Media's I Walk With Women initiative.

"There are many reasons as to why people don't feel safe on the streets at night, this may be down to a lack of lighting, public transport or the general feel. People generally feel more safe when people, not just police officers are looking out for them"

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