Violence against women, girls at ‘epidemic’ levels: UK police
Al Jazeera
Such violence accounted for 20 percent of all reported crime in England and Wales from 2022 to 2023, report says.
Women and girls in the United Kingdom are suffering “epidemic” levels of violent crime, police warn, with a new report documenting more than 1 million such offences within a year.
The report, released on Tuesday by the UK’s National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing, found that violence against women and girls made up about 20 percent of all reported crime in England and Wales from 2022 to 2023.
It said one in every six murders in England and Wales during the period was related to domestic abuse.
Based on the data, at least one in every 12 women will be a victim each year of gender-based violent crimes, including rape, stalking, harassment and online sexual abuse, according to the report.
The number is likely to be higher due to unreported crimes, Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth said.