Police chiefs have outlined the ‘epidemic’ scale of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in England and Wales.

A National Policing Statement for VAWG, commissioned by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing, found:

  • Over one million VAWG related crimes were recorded during 2022/23, accounting for 20% of all police recorded crime
  • Police recorded VAWG related crime increased by 37% between 2018/23
  • At least one in every 12 women will be a victim per year, with the exact number expected to be much higher.
  • Child sexual abuse and exploitation increased by more than 400% between 2013 and 2022.

Policing has undergone significant changes to the way it tackles violence against women and girls in recent years. Progress has been made to drive standards and consistency across all police forces.

However, due to the ‘epidemic’ scale of offending, police leaders are calling for a whole-system approach that brings together criminal justice partners, government bodies and other sectors, in a new partnership that seeks to reduce the scale and impact of VAWG.

Domestic abuse remains one of biggest demands on policing, with arrests for domestic abuse related offences increasing by over 22% in the year ending March 2023, compared to the previous period. Whilst the police say this is a positive shift, it acknowledges that there is still more to do.

Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth, Deputy CEO of the College of Policing and NPCC lead for violence against women and girls, said: “We are absolutely determined to turn the tide on violence and abuse faced by women and girls and will continue to work tirelessly to do better for victims.

“Our focus will always be to bring the men behind these pervasive crimes to justice. By enhancing the way we use data and intelligence, we will improve our ability to identify, intercept and arrest those causing the most harm in communities.

“We know that continuous improvement is needed to strengthen policing’s response to VAWG. Improvements must be driven nationally, ensuring consistency from force to force to give victims the service they expect and deserve.”