Domestic abuse cases continue to rise in Suffolk, prompting concern
Incidents of domestic abuse accounted for 19 percent of all crime committed in Suffolk for the year ending March 2021
Last updated 26th Nov 2021
New figures revealed by the Office for National Statistics shows that the number of cases of domestic abuse in Suffolk have more than doubled in the last five years. There were 9,017 cases recorded in the year ending March 2021, compared to 3,971 cases in March 2016.
This rise has prompted serious concerns among domestic abuse charities and support groups. Paula De Vaux is the project co-ordinator at Sudbury based group Compassion.
"These are shocking statistics and I think also we should bear in mind the fact that it's highly underreported, so this is just the tip of the iceberg", she says.
Domestic abuse accounted for 19 percent of all crime committed between March 2020 and 2021. Ms DeVaux explains that the Covid-19 lockdowns played into the hands of many abusers. "We know that one of the perpetrators' key tactics to have power and control is the use of isolation and the fact that the government was telling us to stay home and stay safe was a very mixed message for those of whom home is not the safest place to be.
"Perpetrators will exploit any opportunity to get their own way and they absolutely have used locked down and and the restrictions to be able to increase that level of isolation and control and really prevent victims from reaching out to the services they needed the support of, but also to reach out to friends and family" she says.
But this rise in numbers wasn't just because of the pandemic. There has been a steady rise in the number of domestic abuse cases reported over the last five years. Ms DeVaux "This is a pandemic in its own right. It is something that's existed for such a long time, and it is absolutely about entrenched beliefs and attitudes that exist in those that give themselves permission to behave in abusive and violent way."
The founder of another Suffolk-based domestic abuse support group Alumah says that increased awareness about domestic abuse and the various ways in which it presents itself can go some way into explaining this rise in cases. Liz Jenkins experienced domestic abuse herself. She explains the ways in which this abuse can impact victims.
"When we're in a in a relationship where we feel put down, where everything we do is wrong, such that we are unable to make a decision, you could be left afterwards feeling uncertain about who we are as a person.
"One of the main things that can happen in a abusive relationship is that we we lose touch with friends and families. So we become extremely isolated and then leaving that partner. And that's the only person we've had, that can be devastating.
"We feel like we can lose everything so you know some people do go back because of the absolute loneliness and the fear of what do I do with the day? How do I manage?", she says.
Ms DeVaux from Compassion says that victims are also unable to leave simply because of how dangerous it would be to do so. " It's a really big decision to make, and it's also really dangerous and what we know is that two women a week are murdered at the hands of a partner or ex partner, generally at the point of leaving that relationship.
"In terms of domestic homicides, what we see are 68% of those are committed within the first six months of separation.
"This is a very dangerous time" she says.
So what can be done to deal with the rising incidences of domestic abuse? Ms DeVaux believes there should be a three-pronged approach to addressing the issue.
"We need support and recovery for victims", she says before adding that We also need the same support and recovery for children that have witnessed this level of abuse and violence so that we can derail them from becoming that next generation of victims and perpetrators."
She also says there must be intervention at school level to educate children about what kind of behaviour is appropriate all through school. " This kind of emotional intelligence is a life-skill and its just as important as mathematics and science"
The third level of focus she says has to be on the offender. "We need to be looking at rehabilitation of perpetrators. Just slamming the prison door or a community order, that's not quite going to cut it. We only invest in victims and we help them to leave safely and they go on to to live a healthy life and and are free from that abuse which is great.
"But if we just leave that perpetrator still in that pit of unhealthy entrenched beliefs and attitudes that they have. They don't necessarily have the tools then to go on to have a healthy relationship in the future and all they will do is continue that cycle."
The Domestic Abuse Act, she says is welcome legislation but adds that it does not go far enough. The cost of measures in place in the bill will come to around ÂŁ300 million. "The cost of domestic abuse alone in 2017 was ÂŁ66 billion, so in comparison that's nothing.
"If we invest now, we will save money later because it costs a lot less to go in and educate children and young people than it does to mop up after a domestic homicides and and all of the horrible things that we will see if it continues,"
Helpful resources can be found in Suffolk Police and** Suffolk County Council's** websites. The charities mentioned above can be accessed through the phone or online. Local pharmacies or Library services may also be able to sign post victims to appropriate agencies