97% of coercive control offences recorded by police in England & Wales go unpunished, new analysis shows

ONE hundred incidents of coercive control are recorded by police every day, but 97 per cent of sick abusers get away with it, new analysis by Labour shows. 

The stats come as the party has pledged to fund a new scheme putting domestic abuse specialists into police 999 control rooms during peak times for assaults, such as the World Cup.

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Labour Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has pledged to fund a new scheme putting domestic abuse specialists into police 999 control rooms during peak times for violence against women and girls[/caption]

Coercive control incidents reported to forces in England and Wales increased by nearly a quarter on last year, hitting a record high. 

But official figures show that in the year to March 2022 only 3.4 per cent of cases resulted in a charge. 

More than half the offences recorded by police collapsed after victims dropped out of the process.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper MP said: “The new offence of coercive control was a hugely important step forward in the fight to end domestic abuse. But these figures show that, while the law has moved forward, our criminal justice system has failed to keep up. 

“So few criminals being caught and charged while their victims are left without justice is appalling, and the Home Office needs to take responsibility. 

“Labour has a plan to overhaul the system for victims of domestic abuse. We will put domestic abuse specialists in every police control room and overhaul police training to make sure victims are always given the best possible support.”

Earlier this month the Home Office pledged a funding boost of £8.4 million to support victims of violence against women and girls.

Money will go to vital organisations run by the users and communities they serve, including victims and survivors from ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBT backgrounds and those with a disability.

But domestic abuse charities and campaigners want the Home Office to go further.

Spice Girl Mel B has called for an emergency £1m cost of living support fund to protect women from abusive partners.

Research from Women’s Aid found that 96 per cent of survivors have seen their wallet tighten because of the cost of living crisis.

And two thirds have experienced abusers use the dire economy as a way to coerce and control them.

Mel suffered through ten years of domestic abuse hell before leaving her deranged ex-husband Stephen Belafonte in 2017. 

She’s been a champion campaigner for women’s’ safety ever since.

“As we move into December, there is still no emergency fund for survivors of domestic abuse, who literally cannot afford to leave,” the star said.

“We have been campaigning for this since the summer, and time is running out.