Domestic Abuse: new stats, reports, and the Safe Leave Bill

Dealing with and preventing domestic abuse in the UK is a major challenge for everyone, from police and social workers to family lawyers and the justice system alike. LGFL Director Rita Gupta looks at the latest proposed legislation, reports, and statistics.

Time off to stay safe

This year has seen some major progress towards the recognition of the impact of domestic abuse with the introduction of the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill. It was proposed by Alex McIntyre, Labour MP for Gloucester, who said the bill would:

“Give victims and survivors the time they need to seek help, to find the resources they need to escape their abuser and to start the long process of healing … Victims should not fear repercussions at work just for seeking help.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, the time to act is NOW.

Call 999 and if possible, get yourself and your children to a place of safety.

Women: call the National Domestic Violence Helpline 0808 200 0247
Men: call the ManKind confidential helpline on 01823 334244

Once you’re safe, contact us for professional legal advice on how to proceed.

What is the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Bill?

The Bill proposes that employers should provide 10 days of paid leave for the survivors of domestic abuse. It is recognition of the traumatic upheaval in victim’s lives and the need to sort out major aspects of their lives, from finding safe accommodation to sorting out finances and court orders, whilst also trying to work to support themselves and their family. This kind of legislation already exists in other countries including New Zealand and Canada.

As the charity Refuge says:

“Domestic abuse can impact all areas of a survivor’s life, including their employment, with many survivors requiring time off for appointments and court appearances, which can then in turn deplete their annual leave. Paid domestic abuse leave could provide a lifeline for survivors, allowing them to prioritise their safety without fear of losing their job and financial independence.”

Latest statistics on domestic abuse

Late last year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released the figures for domestic abuse for the year ending March 2024, and they made difficult reading.

In England and Wales, over 2.3 million people aged 16 years and over experienced domestic abuse (1.6million women and 712,000 men). That equates to just under 5% of the adult population. From those 2.3 million victims, the police were able to record 851,062 domestic abuse-related crimes, with the reality being that many more crimes probably go unreported.

The Home Office also issued a report on the broader issue of “Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG)”. Again the results made tough reading:

Over 1 in 4 women will be a victim of sexual assault or attempted assault in their lifetimes
20% of all police-recorded crime was related to violence against women and girls (VAWG) in 2022-23
At least 1 in 12 women are victims of VAWG-related offences every year

“Shifting the scales: Transforming the criminal justice response to domestic abuse.”

In January 2025, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner (DAC) for England and Wales Dame Nicole Jacobs published her hard-hitting report: “Shifting the scales: Transforming the criminal justice response to domestic abuse.”

Whilst she noted that the number of victims and survivors coming forward has increased, she concluded that the criminal justice system has been delivering poor outcomes which are in turn:

“Compounded by a series of systemic failures across the criminal justice response to domestic abuse. The system is unable to cope with demands placed upon it, and specialist domestic abuse services – who play a vital role in bolstering this system – remain critically underfunded.“

The Commissioner made a series of 12 recommendations that reach right across the multiples agencies involved in domestic abuse cases, and called for government to invest in the specialist domestic abuse sector.

The Commissioner also noted:

“The particular issues faced by marginalised and minoritised communities, such as Black and minoritised, LGBT+, Deaf or disabled survivors – as well as male victims and older victims.”

Be curious, and help keep someone safe

One recommendation we particularly welcomed was that:

“A culture of professional curiosity should be embedded in this (identifying and responding) approach to training in order to address the many missed opportunities to prevent further abuse and escalation of harm.”

As family lawyers, we deal with many cases of domestic abuse, and make it our priority to be aware of all opportunities for victims to receive help, advice and support.

Lawyers as a profession are in a unique position to offer victim confidentiality and advice before they may contact the police, or where violent is well hidden, or the abuse is mainly through coercive control. By encouraging victims to take early legal advice, we often find ourselves involved before matters escalate further, and can help point victims towards organisations that can help them plan their exit strategy, for example.

For more details on how LGFL can help, see our pages:

Government responses to recommendations

In response to this report and others, the Government implemented new measures including:

Announcing new measures to tackle stalking, including online stalking

New Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in selected police forces and courts which can (amongst other measures) impose electronic monitoring (“tagging”) on perpetrators.

Putting specialist domestic abuse advisors into 999 control rooms to advise call handlers and to “ensure that victims are referred to appropriate support services swiftly”

Looking for legal advice on any aspect of domestic abuse?

Abuse does not discriminate and is never acceptable. As experienced domestic abuse lawyers, we can deal with your situation as an emergency, to keep you and your children protected. We can and will help you.

If you are a victim of any form of domestic abuse, emotional abuse or coercive control, please contact us at LGFL Ltd to arrange an urgent consultation.

If you are in any immediate danger, always call 999 for police assistance.