Written evidence from the Domestic Abuse Commissioner [EOV0045]

  1. Role of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner
  2. The Domestic Abuse Commissioner is the pre-eminent independent voice for victims and survivors of domestic abuse. As an independent statutory body, the Commissioner works to ensure that no matter who you are or where you live there should be a strong and comprehensive response to domestic abuse 
  3. The Commissioner uses statutory powers, which are set out in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, to raise public awareness and hold both agencies and government to account in tackling domestic abuse. 

 

Response to the Call for Evidence

  1. To what extent is there evidence that men who exhibit certain non-criminal behaviours, including online, go on to commit criminal offences against women and girls?

 

4.1. There is a growing body of evidence which suggests that there is a correlation between men who perpetrate online abuse and abuse offline.

Evidence base:

 

 

2.2 The Committee should also look at recent cases of mass shootings, such as the Plymouth incident and also international cases in the United States where there is presence of online misogyny (but at that point in time, not criminal behaviours) and the escalation to mass shooting. Further research includes:

3. To what extent is there evidence that men who commit certain crimes (such as non-contact sexual offences) go on to commit serious violent offences against women and girls?

 

 

How effective is (a) the police service and (b) the criminal justice system at responding to these behaviours and offences and how might those responses be improved?

 

 

 

What interventions are currently in place for perpetrators with different offending histories and how effective are they for different offender pathways?

 

 

 

 

To what extent is there evidence that escalating behaviours is a particular problem within the emergency services and other public sector organisations?

 

 

Wider considerations from DAC to committee

 

September 2023


[1] A small-scale study by Cafcass and Women’s Aid Federation England in 2016 suggested that allegations of domestic abuse are present in up to 62 percent of such cases, meaning that there could be up to an estimated 32,400 private law children cases involving domestic abuse every year. See: Allegations-of-domestic-abuse-in-child-contact-cases-2017.pdf (cafcass.gov.uk)