A NEW domestic abuse strategy has been launched by Gloucestershire County Council with senior leaders warning that rising demand and stark countywide data underline the need for stronger early intervention and more coordinated services.

The launch took place at Shire Hall on Monday, December 8, bringing together representatives from public health, policing, the NHS and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s Office to highlight the council’s plans for its 2025 to 2028 strategy.

The county’s latest needs assessment shows that domestic abuse accounts for 19 per cent of all crime in Gloucestershire and 38 per cent of all violent offences.

In 2023 to 2024, specialist services received 11,180 referrals, with 19 per cent assessed as high risk. The highest victimisation rate is among people aged 25 to 34, with 31.4 domestic abuse crimes per 1,000 population.

The report also highlights significant pressure on safe accommodation, with 91 victims unable to access refuge spaces and 80 unable to be placed in Places of Safety during the past year.

Opening the event, Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, lead cabinet member for public health, told attendees that the scale of the problem is shocking. He said: "20 per cent of all recorded crime in Gloucestershire is domestic abuse and behind every statistic is a real person whose life has been turned upside down by coercion, control and fear."

He stressed that partnership working across police, health, housing, education and the voluntary sector is essential and that support must be available to all victims, including men, children and those from minority communities.

Director of public health Siobhan Farmer said: "Domestic abuse can be life changing or life ending and affects physical and mental health, finances, education, employment and integration into society."

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Nick Evans said: "There is no such thing as just another domestic abuse incident and each offence relates to a victim harmed by someone they are meant to be close to."

He confirmed that the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has secured more than £2.7 million of Ministry of Justice funding over two years to support victims and strengthen specialist services.

Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher said: "To tackle domestic abuse across the county, every professional needs the skills to spot the signs and respond effectively."

NHS Gloucestershire chief executive Sarah Truelove said: "Health professionals are often the first point of contact and need to ask questions sensitively and offer support early to prevent escalation."

Anna MacGregor, regional lead at the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s Office, praised Gloucestershire’s approach, saying: "It is an honest response to tough experiences, it was bold and brave and survivor voices have been effectively embedded in the strategy."

Closing the launch, Cllr Hodgkinson said: "Gloucestershire must be a place where no one has to live in fear in their own home and delivering the strategy will require dedication, partnership and commitment from all involved."

The Forest of Dean District Council was one of the partners involved in developing the strategy, helping ensure the needs of the district’s communities were fully represented.