MPA Domestic Violence Board - working to achieve improved service provision for victims across London

22/06
4 April 2006

The first meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority’s Domestic Violence Board, set up to monitor, scrutinise and support the Metropolitan police’s response to domestic violence, will take place tomorrow, Wednesday 5 April.

The Board aims to secure continuous improvements in the Met’s response to domestic violence by sharing best practice and innovation with all the agencies, both voluntary and statutory, working in London.

Cindy Butts, chair of the MPA Domestic Violence Board, said:

“Domestic violence is a traumatic, often long-term crime that leaves victims terrorised in their own homes. On average a woman is likely to be assaulted more than 30 times before seeking help.

“This unacceptable violation of a person’s dignity, personal safety and basic human rights has traditionally been made even worse by the stigma attached to it by a society that turned its back on the issue.

“Fortunately this inexcusable stigma no longer applies, but we must still deal with the horrors of a crime that causes pain to far too many people and has devastating and far-reaching consequences not just for them personally but also for their families and the wider community.”

Cindy continued:

“The approach of the police has changed alongside that of society and fundamental to this has been the prosecution of perpetrators without the requirement of a direct complaint from the victim.

“The Met has worked hard to meet the challenge of domestic violence, in part because domestic homicide accounts for over 25% of murders in London, murders that could possibly be prevented by earlier, more effective intervention. Currently the Met leads on the excellent Project Umbra initiative, a multi-agency response to pursue those responsible and helping victims.

Commenting on the contribution the MPA Domestic Violence Board will make, Cindy concluded:

“The MPA Domestic Violence Board will add value to the police response by forging closer working relationships between agencies and ensuring that the Met’s 32 individual borough operational command units across the capital learn from successful projects and develop their services.

“Like so many areas of criminal activity, it is only by working in partnership and learning from each other’s experiences of what actually works on the ground can we really tackle this brutal crime and make a real and lasting difference for victims.”

Each meeting of the Board will examine work taking place within two London boroughs. The first meeting will hear from representatives of Havering and Croydon about how they tackle the problems of domestic violence and meet the needs of victims locally.

The Met’s Project Umbra programme board chair, Commander Steve Allen, will give an overview of Umbra’s work and representatives from borough councils, community, voluntary and statutory agencies involved in supporting victims of domestic violence, have been invited to attend.

Notes to editors

1. Media are not invited to attend because of the sensitive nature of the issues to be discussed.

2. Figures:

• 57,452 domestic violence offences were recorded in the Metropolitan Police district in the year April 2005 - February 2006;
• in the same period the MPS had a 60% detection rate and a 26.4% sanctioned detection rate (those cases resulting in a charge, caution or a ‘TIC’ [taken into consideration]).

3. The MPA Domestic Violence Board, a sub-group of the MPA Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board, will meet quarterly.
 

Further media information

For further information, please contact the MPA press office

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback