Reshahn Allen (Student)

New studies have revealed that during the Coronavirus lockdown, there has been a surge in domestic violence against women. Over two thirds of domestic violence survivors who responded to a Women’s Aid survey, reported that the violence had got worse during lockdown.   

Using statistics that have been obtained following a freedom of information request from the police, the BBC Panorama programme revealed that there was one domestic abuse call every thirty seconds within the first seven weeks of the first lockdown. The recorded calls had included reports of violent offences such as kidnapping, arson, revenge porn and poisoning.  

From the beginning of the lockdown, more than forty- thousand calls had been made to the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and those figures are rising according to the charity. The telephone helpline, which usually receives approximately two hundred and seventy calls from women, family and friends who need support had increased by seventy – seven per cent in June.  

During the first week of July, there was a fifty – four per cent increase in women who were in urgent need of accommodation in comparison to the final week in June, which was the highest number of women needing emergency accommodation during the lockdown.  

Domestic abuse commissioner, Nicole Jacobs has now called for the government to help put a plan in place to tackle abuse at home. She had commented that there would be a surge during the autumnal months and labelled the seventy – seven per cent rise during June as “stark”.  

On an interview with BBC radio 4’s Today programme, Nicole Jacobs had stated that “there has been some government funding, but just to point out that the funding is in place and has been given charities and services until the end of October. Of course, this surge is going to go well beyond that so one thing the government need to put in place is a plan post – October and that is quite urgent to do now because we can see the evidence is right in front of us.”  

Nineteen days after lockdown had started, the government had proclaimed it would give an extra £2 million to domestic abuse helplines, and they had launched a social media campaign to encourage people to report domestic abuse. The CEO of the women’s aid charity, Solace, Fiona Dwyer, had told Panorama that the timing of the government was ‘dreadful’ and that it should not have taken them nineteen days to muster any action. Dwyer said that domestic violence and abuse was not a priority for the government and the £2 million was a ‘poor effort’.  

Staffordshire University Legal Advice Clinic (SULAC) offers free legal advice for matters regarding domestic abuse and family issues, in conjunction with Lewis Rodgers Solicitors. SULAC is offering appointments online, through Microsoft Teams due to COVID – 19. For additional information, or to book an appointment please call on 01782 294800 or email at SULAC@staffs.ac.uk