Today, flash mobs will be descending on town centres all over the globe for One Billion Rising For Justice to stand against violence against women – but if these stats are anything to go we still have a long way to go before we change attitudes towards domestic violence in this country.
Official statistics released yesterday show that one in ten adults still believe that it’s ‘mostly or sometimes acceptable’ to hit their partner is they’ve had an affair. These depressing figures from the Office For National Statisticswill come as difficult reading for the huge number of men and women who have suffered at the hands of an abusive partner. The latest reports estimate that about one in three women – which amounts to around 4.9 million people – and roughly one in six men – around 2.7 million – have experienced domestic abuse at some points in their lives. These are a sad and worrying snapshot into the abuse suffered by a huge proportion of the population, and are a pertinent reminder of why events like One Billion Rising For Justice are still so important.
In response to the statistics, shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has come out to say that police cuts and changes to how legal aid can be claimed has made things harder for victims. ‘If there was this level of at footblass matches, there would be a national outcry,’ she said. ‘Yet, all too often, domestic violence is ignored and hidden behind net curtains, while victims of domestic abuse are met with silence.’ Only one in five reports of domestic violence resulted in formal charges last year – so what’s screamingly obvious from these new statistics is that the government still has a long when it comes to helping those affected by domestic violence bring their perpetrators to justice.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.