Police chiefs have outlined the alarming scale of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in England and Wales, revealing that over 3,000 offences are recorded each day and that one in 12 women are victims each year.
Commissioned by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing, the statement highlights significant changes in policing strategies aimed at tackling VAWG. Despite progress in driving standards and consistency across police forces, the epidemic scale of offending has led police leaders to call for a partnership involving criminal justice partners, government bodies, and industry to reduce the scale and impact of VAWG. Key findings from the National Policing Statement include:
- Over one million VAWG-related crimes were recorded during 2022/23, accounting for 20% of all police-recorded crime.
- A 37% increase in police-recorded VAWG-related crime between 2018 and 2023.
- At least one in every 12 women will be a victim per year, with the actual number expected to be much higher.
- Child sexual abuse and exploitation increased by more than 400% between 2013 and 2022.
- One in every six murders in 2022/23 was related to domestic abuse, with suspected victim suicides following domestic abuse rising year-on-year.
In response to these statistics, police have transformed their approach to investigating rape and serious sexual offences, training over 4,500 new officers in the past year. Collaborating closely with prosecutors, the focus of investigations has shifted to the actions of the alleged perpetrators rather than the victims.
Early data shows promising results, with a 25% increase in arrests and a 38% increase in charges for rape in the past year. Domestic abuse remains one of the biggest demands on policing, with arrests for domestic abuse-related offences increasing by over 22% in the year ending March 2023.
To address VAWG comprehensively, violence against women and girls is now officially classified as a national threat by the government, aligning the police response to VAWG with counter-terrorism efforts. The adoption of the ‘4P’ approach—Prepare, Protect, Pursue, and Prevent—underpins every police force’s plan to tackle VAWG.
The statement emphasises that law enforcement alone cannot address VAWG. It estimates that one in 20 people are perpetrators of VAWG each year, with the actual number likely higher. Many of these perpetrators interact with various agencies outside of policing, such as health, education, local authorities, and the voluntary sector, presenting opportunities for intervention. Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, Deputy CEO of the College of Policing and NPCC lead for violence against women and girls, said:
“We are absolutely determined to turn the tide on violence and abuse faced by women and girls and will continue to work tirelessly to do better for victims.
Our focus will always be to bring the men behind these pervasive crimes to justice. By enhancing the way we use data and intelligence, we will improve our ability to identify, intercept and arrest those causing the most harm in communities.
We know that continuous improvement is needed to strengthen policing’s response to VAWG. Improvements must be driven nationally, ensuring consistency from force to force to give victims the service they expect and deserve.”
Police are committed to relentlessly pursuing perpetrators and managing offenders through a new approach that maximises the use of technology and intelligence. The creation of a National Centre for Public Protection in the College of Policing aims to support police forces with specialist knowledge, training, and a national approach to preventative work with other agencies, ultimately delivering better service to victims through quality investigations and victim care. Sophie Francis-Cansfield, Head of External Affairs at Women’s Aid, said:
“While the findings of the National Polices Chiefs’ Council and College into the scale of violence against women and girls in this country are alarming, it is important to remember that many survivors will not report their experiences to the police, therefore we know the issue will be much larger than the data shows.
Women’s Aid agree that violence against women and girls is a national threat, and echoes calls for a whole-system approach to tackling the problem and centres the most marginalised. This includes coordination between the criminal justice system, the government, and experts, and enhanced training and education, delivered by specialist services, to those working in statutory services like the police. Without meaningful collaboration and action, women and children will continue to be failed when it comes to be protected and when seeking justice for the abuse they have endured.”
