Fighting domestic violence

摘要

Domestic violence is increasingly recognised as a serious problem. It accounts for almost one-fifth of all violent crime, and at least half of all female murder victims are killed by their current or former partner. In addition to the human costs of this insidious crime, the taxpayer pays ￡5.7bn a year towards dealing with it, and its effects. There is, however, little consensus on how best to tackle an issue which affects the lives of so many people. For too long, domestic violence has been seen as an issue for the criminal justice system. But, most cases don't go anywhere near the courts, and people caught up in it still need a broad range of support.