Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Domestic Abuse Offences: Prosecution Rate

Tuesday 22 March 2022 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Elliot Colburn questioned the Minister about improving prosecution rates for domestic abuse offences in his constituency.
  • Elliot Colburn raised concerns that poor police conduct undermines efforts to increase prosecution rates for domestic abuse.
  • The Minister mentioned the Angiolini inquiry and the HMICFRS review to improve police attitudes and conduct regarding domestic abuse.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Elliot Colburn
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The question arises from a concern about the prosecution rate for domestic abuse in the UK, particularly highlighting issues in London Borough of Sutton.

Question

If he will take steps to help improve the prosecution rate for domestic abuse offences. My constituency sits in the London Borough of Sutton, which has higher domestic abuse rates than the London average. Surely poor police conduct only serves to undermine efforts to increase prosecution rates. What work is my hon. Friend undertaking to encourage domestic abuse victims to come forward and ensure confidence in the criminal justice system?

Answer from Victoria Atkins

Trust is the fundamental bond between us, the public, and the police, prosecutors, the courts and the criminal justice system. Members are right to ask scrutinising questions of those agencies. We support the Home Secretary's review through the Angiolini inquiry into police attitudes and conduct, and HMICFRS review. The Domestic Abuse Matters training has shown improvement in rates of charging for coercive and controlling behaviour offences in 32 out of 46 police forces.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about encouraging victims to report was partially addressed but not fully committed to with concrete steps.

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Q2 Elliot Colburn
Policing & Resources Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The question arises from concerns about the impact of poor police conduct on domestic abuse victims in London Borough of Sutton, which has higher rates than the London average.

Question

Surely poor police conduct only serves to undermine efforts to increase prosecution rates. What work is my hon. Friend undertaking to encourage domestic abuse victims to come forward and ensure confidence in the criminal justice system?

Answer from Victoria Atkins

We support the Home Secretary's review through the Angiolini inquiry into police attitudes and conduct, and HMICFRS review. The Domestic Abuse Matters training has shown improvement in rates of charging for coercive and controlling behaviour offences in 32 out of 46 police forces.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about encouraging victims to report was partially addressed but not fully committed to with concrete steps.

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Q3 Alex Norris Labour (Co-op) Nottingham North and Kimberley
Crime & Law Enforcement Children & Families
Context

The question arises from a concern about the lack of reporting, understanding, and prosecution of domestic abuse at child contact centres.

Question

The lack of reporting, understanding and prosecution of domestic abuse at child contact centres is creating a potential risk at those venues. Happily, the Domestic Abuse Act committed the Government to producing a report on this. Is the Minister willing to meet the all-party parliamentary group on child contact centres and services to discuss the matter further?

Answer from Victoria Atkins

I am happy to take up the hon. Gentleman's kind invitation. In February, we launched an integrated domestic abuse courts pilot in Dorset and north Wales, testing a more investigative and less adversarial approach to family court proceedings.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about meeting was partially addressed but not fully committed with a definite plan.

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