Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to ensure the safety of victims of domestic abuse whilst police investigations are underway and alleged perpetrators of that abuse are on bail.

Tackling domestic abuse is a key Government priority. It is deeply harmful, not only because of the profound effect it can have on victims, survivors and their loved ones, but also because of the harm it inflicts on wider society.

Under changes to the pre-charge bail system, introduced in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, there is a new duty on police to seek the views of victims on pre-charge bail conditions to ensure that conditions will better protect all victims, including victims of domestic abuse. Conditions of pre-charge bail are likely to include no contact with the victim and other measures for the protection and safety of the victim.

Police forces can also use protective measures such as issuing a Domestic Violence Protection Notice (DVPN) or applying to the magistrate’s court for a civil Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO). They can use these independently or alongside bail conditions to provide greater protection for the victim.

Frontline professionals can refer victims to their local Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC), a non-statutory process that brings together statutory and voluntary agencies to jointly support adult and child victims of domestic abuse who are at a high risk of serious harm or homicide, and to disrupt and divert the behaviour of the perpetrator(s).