Family Solicitors

Survivors of domestic violence fear that there will be less support available for those who have suffered domestic violence as budget cuts to services are made.

November marks International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the charity Women’s Aid has published a report “A Growing Crisis in Unmet Need” to mark the event on 25 November.

Women’s Aid is an umbrella organisation comprising 350 domestic violence and sexual abuse organisations. Chief executive Polly Neate says that much of the support which has been built up for domestic violence and sexual abuse survivors may be harmed in the latest round of budget cuts.

“We may be about to witness the destruction of so much that has been achieved – and at a huge cost, when there is so much more that still needs to be done,” she said.

In 2013 Home Office guidelines on sexual assault were changed to include victims from the age of 16 for the first time.

Since 2010 budgets for domestic violence and sexual assault support services have been reduced by 30% – and local authorities are reorganising domestic violence services to meet the cuts.

Crime Prevention Minister Normal Baker said:

“I would hope that local councils do not make cuts which affect the most vulnerable.”

Certain services have been affected more than others, including domestic violence services for women only and black and ethnic minority women. Male services are now becoming more common, following a 2004 report by Professor Sylvia Walby which found that around one-quarter of men will experience at least one incident of domestic violence or sexual assault in their lifetimes.

Prof Walby estimates that one in six women suffers domestic violence or sexual assault during their life.

Recent research has also revealed a growing trend of child-to-parent abuse, with mothers over the age of 40 with a son aged 14-17 most at risk of suffering adolescent-to-parent abuse from their children. Child-to-parent abuse may be physical or involve mental or even financial abuse.

Dr Paula Wilcox from Brighton University has also researched abuse perpetrated on older or elderly women. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines elder abuse as “A single or repeated act or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person”.

Dr Wilcox and Dr Helen Jones of Manchester Metropolitan University presented their paper Through the Lens of Gender: Domestic Abuse of Older Women in England and Japan in Kobe, Japan in 2011. The paper examines the gap in knowledge of elder domestic abuse by pooling the knowledge of researchers into elder abuse from England and Japan.

The researchers say that “increasing awareness and breaking the taboo of violence against elderly women is crucial”.

Duncan Lewis are leading Family and Childcare lawyers who can advise on domestic violence and child abuse, as well as child abduction, and children being taken in Local Authority Care.

Contact Duncan Lewis family lawyers for expert advice on 020 7923 4020.