To think that at times the attitude of Police and CPS re domestic violence is despicable?

[Scarletohello]

Ok without wishing to rehash the events of last night I just have to say this...

A woman who has been threaded by her partner with a hammer.

Police tell her she ' reaps what she sows' because she was intimidated into dropping charges on a previous assault.

Charges are dropped by CPS as they have determined she will ' not make a credible witness'

Alleged perpetrator is then free to go, leaving victim terrified, hence the events of last night....

Since 2 women every week are killed by a current/ former partner, and there have been many cases where a woman has repeatedly asked for help and not been taken seriously, that it is time that the criminal justice agencies were properly trained in domestic violence awareness, understood the real risks women faced, and made decisions with regard to the safety of the fucking victim..?!

Sock The perpetrator is a member of my family and as much as I'd like to think the victim will cooperate with the police, he won't, I'm sure of it. I'm not there to witness the incidents and I've lost count the amount of times police have been called. The last incident was particularly serious. Not sure what else I can do really.

Do you know what happens when the police get there?

They come asses the situation, give warnings to both parties and leave. She has never been arrested. At one point I tried to get SS involved but they wouldn't take the matter further even though there is a teenage minor living in the house. I think with this particular situation it's probably hard to pick through to find out who the instigator is. And it doesn't help that the only witness will always side with the abuser regardless of where the fault lies. It all very complex and quite frustrating.

If you pm me your vague area I can send you details of a specialist who can help.

In that situation a referral should have already been sent to children's services automatically.

But making sense of whats happened should not be much of a priority at that point, if there is evidence of an assault a arrest should happen the making sense happens after that.

I cannot fault the police in my area. They arrived under 5 mins from phone call and were there for me all through the case. They did stress before they arrested him that I had to be sure it was what I wanted to do and asked quite a few times if I was sure I wasn't going to back out.

I didn't appear in court. Wasn't asked to. His statement said I attacked him. 7 1/2 stone against 14 hmm and hand marks on throat when police arrived plus photos of full body bruises helped my case I think.
The police and prosecution lawyer (who relayed info after every adjourned hearing) really couldn't have donemore p

Pm'd you Sock

I've replied hope its helpful.

Attitudes within the police and CPS have improved massively, and will continue to do so I think. Which isn't to say it's perfect and that there aren't those in these services who don't take it seriously.

I think one of the difficulties with this is that the police and CPS are only ever involved at a stage at which it is largely impossible to achieve change. Unless an incident is severe, the likely resulting caution, compensation order, perpetrator programme or community service are never going to change the mindset of a lifelong abuser. They just won't. The police and CPS aren't a magic wand that can "fix" someone's relationship and allow it continue with the abusive element magically taken away.

I think making the consequences harder would help, but that also poses the risk of the abuser being more dangerous, as they may go to even more extremes in a bid to intimidate their partner out of calling the police.

What we really need is a sea-change in attitude about what constitutes a healthy relationship and that starts way before the first assault. By the time the police are called (after an average of 35 unreported assaults), it's a case of sticking a plaster on a gaping wound.

I think your right.

can I add to this that rights of women are much underlooked agency, as far as my experience goes. They really help with the legal side of things.

Excellent post Dahlen

I have to say my experience with the police was the best it could have been.

I called them after ex attacked me, they removed him there and then and took a statement. He was kept in overnight and then a restraining order arranged by them for one week. They then called me to say the CPS would be taking it forward, pushed by them the police and we had a court date. Both ex and I turned up but after reading the statements ex pleaded guilty so I didn't actually have to go through the court case. They kept in contact with me regularly and helped me to get out of a situation that I couldn't get myself out of alone. Ex never moved back in and till this day I am grateful to the police for all they did.