More officers to support domestic abuse victims

Victims in high-risk domestic abuse cases will be better protected after more specialist officers were assigned to support them.

Nottinghamshire Police will now operate four specialist domestic abuse teams providing seven day a week support to victims.

The changes, made in response to increasing demand, will ensure all cases identified as high risk are dealt with promptly by experienced detectives, and any necessary safeguarding measures put in place at the earliest opportunity.

In addition to arresting and charging offenders, officers can also pursue a number of other options at the early stages of an investigation in order to keep victims safe.

These include:

• Clare’s Law (Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme) disclosures. These are considered in all domestic abuse cases and give victims and or people connected to them the right to ask police for a disclosure about their partner. In some cases, Nottinghamshire Police may proactively approach women where concerns exist about their partner.
  
  
• Domestic Violence Protection Orders – civil court orders that can be granted within 48 hours of an officer issuing a temporary Domestic Violence Protection Notice.
  
  
• Non Molestation Orders – civil court orders that place restrictions on perpetrators, including not contacting or visiting their victims. Victims are supported by advocacy groups to apply for these.
  
  
• Stalking Prevention Orders – civil court orders that allow police to intervene early before cases have gone to court and / or behaviours escalate.
  
  
• Referrals to independent domestic violence advocates (IDVAs) who can help guide and support victims. Nottinghamshire Police currently runs a weekend service where an IDVA – paired with a police officer – attends high-risk call outs in person to offer immediate advice and support.

Detective Inspector Dan Evans, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“Policing is fundamentally about protecting the public from harm, and we know that victims in cases of serious domestic abuse are at greater risk of further harm than almost any other group of people.

“They have each been through horrendous ordeals and are looking to us not only to hold their attackers to account, but also to keep them – and in many cases their children – safe.

“During the last twenty years or so I am pleased to say that we have made giant strides in this area and are already delivering a good level of service.

“We owe it to victims, however, to work even harder and to truly protect them from further harm.

“That is why we have made these changes and why we will continue to attract the very best of our detectives to this vital area of our work.”