Almost half of the homicides in London this year have been related to domestic abuse
The Government’s new draft Domestic Abuse Bill needs to include legislation to introduce a Domestic Abusers Register. The London Assembly is adamant that a change in the law is necessary to allow for the establishment of a Register of domestic abuse offenders and calls on the government to ensure it is included in the bill.
The Assembly recommends the system could work in a similar way to the sex offenders’ register, allowing police to hold information on repeat offenders in order to better protect survivors.
A Domestic Abusers Register would help police officers to be pro-active on domestic violence, as reactive policing is often too late. A register would put the onus on the offender.
The Assembly believes this issue is above politics and they want the Government to get cracking on changing legislation now.
Spokesperson for the London Assembly Domestic Abusers Register campaign, Len Duvall AM said:
“The number of cases of domestic violence in London and around the country which have ended in murder is staggering. A Register would help to minimise violence and loss of life in the future.
“Clare’s law offers some protection from serial domestic abusers – but a Register to manage serial abusers would put the emphasis back on the criminal rather than the survivors of these appalling crimes.
“With the support of the Mayor, the Home Affairs Select Committee and all parties on the London Assembly, we reiterate our call for a Domestic Abusers Register. The urgency for legislation is clear and we will continue to put pressure on government to include a Domestic Abusers Register in their new Domestic Abuse Bill.”
Related documents
Domestic Abusers Register Report
Notes to editors
- Police say there were 84,150 domestic abuse offences in the 12 months to November, compared with 77,584 for the previous 12-month period, a rise of 8.4 per cent.
- Read the report from Len Duvall AM below - Domestic Abusers Register
- Len Duvall AM is available for interview – see contact details below.
- In September 2017, Assembly Members supported a unanimous motion to seek legislative change to allow for the establishment of a register of domestic abuse offenders. The Assembly recommends that the system could work in the same way as the sex offenders’ register, allowing police to hold information on perpetrators in order to better protect survivors.
- All 73 London MPs received a cross party letter from the London Assembly to enlist their support for a Domestic Abusers Register.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For media enquiries, please contact Alison Bell on 020 7983 4228. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.