‘Shocking’ surge in domestic abuse cases being dropped by police

The number of domestic abuse cases abandoned by police have more than doubled in four years, figures reveal.

Under current rules, police have six months to charge common assault cases, including domestic abuse, from when the alleged incident took place.

However, campaigners say this is unfair because of the complexity of such cases and delays as women determine whether to report an abusive partner.

The figures show the number timed out because they failed to meet a six-month deadline increased from 1,451 in 2016/17 to 3,763 in 2020/21.

Over the past five years, 12,982 cases have ended because of the six-month limit passing, according to the data, obtained by the BBC from 30 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales.

As with falling rape convictions, there has also been a decline in the proportion of abusers being charged at the same time as there has been an increase in domestic abuse common assaults from around 100,000 in 2016/17 to more than 170,000 in 2020/21.

'Thousands of cases a year are just being timed out'

Yvette Cooper, the chairman of the home affairs committee, said it was another example of the criminal justice system failing to understand violence against women and girls. “This is a shocking fact that thousands of cases a year – and getting worse – are just being timed out,” she said.

“There are so many reasons why victims and survivors of domestic abuse might not be able to report an assault straight away. But then to be told that the perpetrator is just going to be let off because they’ve run out of time is completely wrong. That is why the law needs to change.”

Ms Cooper has tabled an amendment to the policing bill to extend the “unjust” six-month time limit to two years for domestic abuse victims to report domestic physical violence to the police.

There has been a 159 per cent increase in the number of times common assaults flagged as involving domestic abuse have not been charged because of this time limit.

A person is guilty of common assault if they inflict violence on another person or make that person think they are about to be attacked. This is not limited to physically violent acts – threatening words or a raised fist could lead the victim to believe they are going to be attacked.

Between 2016-17 and 2020-21, the total number of common assaults flagged as instances of domestic abuse increased by 71 per cent from 99,134 to 170,013. In the same time period, the number of these common assaults that resulted in charges being brought fell by 23 per cent.

A government spokesman said: “All allegations should be investigated and pursued rigorously through the courts where possible, and there is no time limit on reporting crimes such as bodily harm or those that add up to coercive behaviour.

“We have invested millions into vital services to support victims throughout the pandemic, and continue to urge anyone at risk of harm to come forward and get the help they need.

“Perpetrators of domestic abuse do untold damage and we sympathise with any victim whose life has been affected by such acts.”