Domestic Violence in Havering

Last night we received a presentation from local police and agencies, updating us on progress dealing with domestic violence in Havering.

We have the eighth lowest level of domestic violence in London so the borough compares quite well, largely because our police are very proactive when it comes to dealing with this crime. Over a third of domestic violence takes place at the weekend and one in ten cases occur between midnight and 1pm, suggesting that drink is a contributory factor.

A fifth of domestic violence in Havering is committed against men - I thought this was a high figure but in fact it is falling, last year a quarter of the victims were male. However there may be under reporting because the borough's services are set up to work for women - in 2010/11 Havering Women's Aid supported 1192 women but only 20 men. The fact that there is only one refuge for battered men in the country - it is in Wales - also doesn't encourage men to report crimes.