Hampshire Police Highlighting Domestic Abuse

25 November 2014, 07:06 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Police officers and staff in Hampshire will be wearing white ribbons today to raise awareness of domestic abuse - as the force reveals it gets 60 to 70 reports every day.

Today (25 November) is International White Ribbon Day, part of a national and global movement campaigning for an end to violence against women across the world.

Hampshire Constabulary is supporting the day to highlight the work the force does to protect all victims and survivors of domestic abuse and violence, both men, women and children, in same-sex and opposite-sex relationships. 

They're encouraging victims of physical and emotional abuse to come forward.

Detective Superintendent Ben Snuggs is the force lead on domestic abuse. He said: 

"Police officers and staff across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will be wearing a white ribbon on November 25 to show that tackling domestic abuse and violence is the responsibility of everyone in force.

"That means if you're experiencing abuse or violence from your partner or someone in your immediate family, you can speak to one of us and we will take what you say seriously and do everything we can to protect you from further harm.

"Domestic abuse happens in all walks of life and can have a significant and long-lasting impact on whole families and the wider community, as well as victims themselves.

"We work hard with our partners to identify people vulnerable to domestic abuse and violence and ensure they get the support that's right for them.

"For many victims, the idea of supporting a prosecution is still just too traumatic. That's why we're working with partner agencies to find ways to minimise this impact and encourage more victims to speak out. At the same time, we're promoting our use of body-worn video devices when we respond to incidents. This captures key evidence early on and helps to reduce the demand for a victim to have to go to court.

"As a force we're also looking at ways we can find long term solutions to preventing domestic abuse for example through Project CARA, a pilot scheme that works with lower-risk, first-time offenders to address the complex issues that lead them to harm a loved one, and reduce the chances of them re-offending."

You can call the police on 101. If you don't want to talk to the police directly, you can call the anonymous Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always call 999.

There is more information about the support available to victims and survivors of domestic abuse on the Hampshire Constabulary domestic abuse webpage as well as on our Speak Out Today campaign page.