Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd Sioned Williams has today called on the Welsh Government to increase funding to tackle domestic abuse in Wales following a month-long recent investigation by WalesOnline into domestic abuse cases in Swansea Magistrates’ Courts.
Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd Sioned Williams has today called on the Welsh Government to increase funding to tackle domestic abuse in Wales following a month-long recent investigation by WalesOnline into domestic abuse cases in Swansea Magistrates’ Courts.
WalesOnline journalists sat in the domestic abuse court cases over the course of a month, and reported that “in four sessions alone, Swansea Magistrates had 32 domestic violence cases brought to court…Ten were brought during just one session”, with more cases being heard outside of these sessions too.
The news site reported last month that of these 32 cases, five were domestic incidents considered so serious, they were sent to Crown Court, one was not dealt with during the month due to several adjournments and of those dealt with in the magistrates' court, just one defendant was given an immediate custodial sentence.
The Court heard about crimes ranging from assault, assault involving weapons, harassment, and beating, with the defendant's age ranging from in their 20s to a pensioner in one instance.
A local IDVA officer described how the number of domestic abuse cases heard in the court “has consistently been of a high volume” and that the number of stalking and non-fatal strangulation cases had increased.
Plaid Cymru spokesperson for Social Justice and Equalities, and Chair of the Senedd Cross Party Group on Violence against Women and Children, Sioned Williams MS said:
“WalesOnline’s investigation into domestic abuse cases in Swansea Magistrates Court gives an insight into just how much of a problem domestic abuse continues to be in society, and how little progress has been made. And this is only the tip of the iceberg, as we know that domestic abuse is not reported in the majority of cases.
“Time and time again, victims are let down by the criminal justice system, which highlights the need for devolving policing and justice to Wales.”
Sioned Williams MS added:
“The Welsh Government have introduced a real terms cut for the VAWDASV sector for 2023-24, which has quite rightly been criticised by the Welsh Women’s Aid.
“Since the Welsh Government first published the VAWDASV Act in 2015, over 50 women have lost their lives to male violence here in Wales, and tens of thousands more have become survivors of violence and abuse. The majority of murdered women were killed by men who were known to them and trusted by them.
“It’s vital that the VAWDASV sector is adequately funded and that we also root out misogyny on a societal level. That’s why I support Welsh Women’s Aid calls on the Welsh Government to implement a sustainable funding model for the sector, and to provide more support to migrant survivors and survivors from minoritised groups.
“As Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson on Social Justice and Equalities, I will continue to seek answers from the Welsh Government on the issue of tackling domestic abuse and am glad to be currently part of the Senedd Committee on Equalities and Social Justice inquiry, which commenced yesterday, into the need to take a public health approach to preventing gender-based violence.”
2021-22 saw an 18% increase across Wales in the total number of contacts to the Live Fear Free helpline when compared to the previous financial year.
At least 477 survivors were supported in Swansea in 2021-22 by specialist refuge-based support services, and at least 267 survivors were refused refuge space, 33% due to refuge being at maximum capacity. These figures are likely to be an underestimate, as data is not always provided by survivors.
Responding to last year’s publication of the Welsh Government’s VAWDASV Strategy for 2022-2026, Welsh Women’s Aid said that: “Specialist services that work to support survivors are currently doing so in a developing ‘post-pandemic’ landscape, against an escalating cost-of-living crisis, navigating short term, insecure funding cycles. Rates of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence during the Covid-19 pandemic soared so high as to have been universally branded the ‘shadow pandemic’.” Welsh Women’s Aid called for a sustainable funding model for the VAWDASV sector, and criticised the Welsh Government for its “lack of commitment and energy given to seeking a Welsh solution for migrant survivors who have no recourse to public funds” and for not having “meaningfully embedded” intersectionality throughout its strategy.
*** If you or someone you know is affected by domestic abuse visit the Live Fear Free website or call the helpline on 0808 80 10 800 ***