Category Archives: Domestic Violence

Domestic Abusers’ Pet Hate – National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV)

Almost one in 15 witness statements in support of a domestic abuse injunction in England and Wales reveal threatened or actual cruelty to animals. 

That is the top conclusion of a huge new data study of victim and survivor evidence conducted by NCDV, the community interest company which helped secure around 30% of all protective Non-Molestation and Occupation Orders issued in 2024.

The organisation analysed 64,046 witness statements, believed to constitute the single biggest sample of victim/survivor voices anywhere, covering the last seven years (2018-2025) showing a 6.51% link between human and animal abuse.

Charlotte Woodward, Head of NCDV’s Training and Development said:

“If anything, the rate of correlation we see between pet and human abuse is understated due to the peculiarities of sampling, legal definitions and methods of legal data collection. Other survivor studies, notably conducted by Dogs Trust, show higher rates.

“Pets – cats, dogs, rabbits and horses – are not just animals to many of us, they are much loved family members. And, very sadly, abusers know they can play on their victims’ strong feelings, or fears, for their pets to maximise the coercive control they exert and the physical or mental torment they inflict.

One witness said: “When Housing said ‘no pets’, I went back home. I chose my dog because she’d always chosen me.”

Woodward says the anonymised statements also reveal a dismal catalogue of threatened or actual animal abuse. Some victims and survivors told of dogs and puppies collapsing or suffering seizures from being shouted at, of a dog thrown from a vehicle, of donkeys and pigs released onto public roads and pets’ graves being desecrated.

Others mentioned menaces, often backed up by photos, to kill or torture pets. One abuser threatened to drown the family cats in a bath, another posed for a photograph of him holding a shotgun against a horse, while others threatened to kill kittens with a hammer and throw them into a lake, or to place a dog in a tumble dryer and switch it on.

Saddest perhaps of all, the testimony recorded severe and fatal violence with dogs kicked to death, puppies strangled, dogs repeatedly punched or chained and beaten, kittens suffocated and other animals bludgeoned to death.

Charlotte Woodward continued: “We have long believed that protecting people cannot be separated from protecting the animals they love. We must now act on the evidence which this study provides.

“NCDV’s analysis shows that animal cruelty, threats, or risk to pets is a recurring feature of domestic abuse, with serious implications for both survivor safety and animal welfare. Pet abuse is a strong barrier to leaving abusers – one of NCDV’s priorities in helping victims secure Court Orders – and a marker of heightened risk to families and children.

“We believe it is high time that pet questions should be added to risk assessments, safety plans, and staff training. Pet risk should also be specifically incorporated in multi-agency risk assessment conferences/child protection processes. Housing provision should now offer pet-inclusive options for refuge and fostering.

“We also believe that vets are now firmly in the front line against domestic abuse for spotting these indicators and organising safe signposting.

“In the policy arena we endorse Ruby’s Law [campaign named after a dog for explicit protection for pets in civil protection orders] to ensure that pets – along with children – are included in DAPO+ evaluation/design.” Charlotte Woodward concluded: “By promoting the Ruby’s Law campaign and building partnerships with organisations such as the Dogs Trust Freedom Initiative, Refuge4Pets, Cats’ Protection (Lifeline project) and Nature Watch (Protect People, Protect Pets) NCDV will raise awareness, develop training for veterinary teams, create professional toolkits and campaigns, and promote pet-friendly refuge and fostering options for survivors.

“But only by combining our efforts across various services, housing providers, veterinary practices, animal welfare charities, policymakers, and safeguarding forums, can we ensure that no one has to choose between personal or family safety and their pets.”

Notes:

  • NCDV is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company with over 20 years’ experience helping victim-survivors obtain civil protection orders through the courts.
  • We’ve helped secure around 30% of all Non-Molestation and Occupation Orders in England and Wales in recent years. We provide one of the biggest pro bono teams in the country, helping those who can’t access a solicitor.
  • Our service is free, fast, efficient, and designed to work alongside safeguarding efforts, and we offer a signposting service to those who engage with us.
  • We also deliver training on civil orders and domestic-abuse programmes. Last year, we trained almost 15,000 police, professionals, and employers.

Full press release at https://www.ncdv.org.uk/pets-and-domestic-abuse/

December 12, 2025

Domestic Abuse Commissioner responds to the removal of the presumption of parental involvement

On 22 October 2025, the UK Government has announced its intention to repeal the presumption of parental involvement from the Children Act 1989.  

For many years, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, the domestic abuse sector and campaigners have spoken out about the risks with presumption of parental involvement, which has contributed to a pro-contact culture and enabled domestic abuse perpetrators to inflict further harm through unsafe contact orders and have called for its repeal.

Last week, the Commissioner published her latest report on the Family Court which confirmed that domestic abuse is ‘everyday business’ within the family justice system and highlighted how the pro-contact culture was leading to decisions that put children at serious risk of harm.

This announcement means judges will no longer need to work from a ‘starting point’ that parental involvement is in the child’s best interest. Instead, they will be directed to properly assess and consider the child’s wellbeing on a case-by-case basis and by prioritising this evidence, make safer decisions.

Responding to the announcement Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Dame Nicole Jacobs, said: “This is a pivotal moment that will improve how domestic abuse is responded to within the Family Court and ensure children are properly heard, protected and supported.

“Every day I hear from survivors who have been failed by the family justice system – where many have been forced to watch as their children are silenced and decisions are taken that directly put them in harm’s way. This announcement – which stems from the tireless campaigning by Claire Throssell and the wider domestic abuse sector – will ensure that the courts place the safety and wellbeing of children above all else.

“I commend the UK Government for listening to victims and acting to address their concerns. For too long, the presumption of parental involvement has distracted from the need to respond to domestic abuse and when vulnerable children are involved, there is no place for blanket approaches. It is now over to ministers, who I look forward to working with, to ensure this critical change is enacted as soon as possible.”

https://domesticabusecommissioner.uk/domestic-abuse-commissioner-responds-to-the-removal-of-the-presumption-of-parental-involvement/

 

November 17, 2025

Survivors of abuse no longer have to pay to ensure their abusers cannot track them – MoJ

From next month, survivors of violence and domestic abuse will no longer have to pay over £300 to ensure their abuser cannot track them down via public records.

  • Person at Risk of Violence (PARV) Order fees will be scrapped, saving victims hundreds of pounds
  • Changes will remove costs as a barrier to safety and protect survivors facing debt and financial hardship
  • Move part of Government’s Plan for Change to stand up for victims and halve violence against women and girls

Ministers have today confirmed plans to scrap the Person at Risk of Violence Order fee. The move means from November, vulnerable people involved in debt proceedings will no longer have to pay £318 to have their personal details – including name and address – removed from the Insolvency Register and the official public record, the Gazette.

For women fleeing domestic abuse, having the peace of mind that their abuser can’t search public records to find their new address is invaluable – yet the steep cost is a barrier to many. Today’s announcement will mean this cost will no longer be an obstacle to their safety.

The abolition of this unnecessary fee is the latest measure in the Government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade – and a key part of the Plan for Change to protect victims and restore faith in the justice system.

The move builds on the actions the government has already taken to meet its commitment to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade.

These include a National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection; Raneem’s Law which embeds domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms in the first five police forces to improve the police response to domestic abuse; and the rollout of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders – the strongest order of its kind yet to protect victims from perpetrators.

Sam Smethers, CEO of Surviving Economic Abuse said:

We welcome the government’s decision to abolish the fee for Persons at Risk of Violence Orders when applying for insolvency solutions.

Until now, survivors have been forced to pay extra just to stay safe and avoid having their names and addresses published on a public insolvency database. This blocked many from accessing vital insolvency options because the perpetrator’s economic abuse left them unable to afford the fee. Removing this cost is an important step towards ensuring survivors can seek protection without taking on yet more financial burden when trying to resolve coerced debts.

We commend Money Wellness for their work in securing this vital change but it does not stop here. SEA will continue to advocate for systemic changes that tackle economic abuse at the root and ensure victim-survivors are better protected.

Further information

  • When someone applies for an insolvency debt solution, such as bankruptcy, a debt relief order, or an individual voluntary arrangement, their name and address are published on the Insolvency Register as a statutory requirement.
  • A PARV Order is the only legal route to prevent personal details from being published.
  • Individuals must demonstrate that disclosure of their address would reasonably expect to lead to violence. Currently, to apply for a PARV Order, individuals must complete an application form which is accompanied by a witness statement, attend court, and paying the applicable court fee.
  • They do not have to prove that they have experienced violence, only that they reasonably believe they may.
  • On its mission to halve VAWG in a decade, the government has also actioned:
    • Nearly £20 million in funding for specialist VAWG services which support victims of abuse including a range of vital helplines.
    • A new criminal offence for spiking and new spiking training for thousands of pub, club and bar staff to ensure they have the skills to support victims and prevent incidents.
    • New measures to tackle stalking, including giving police guidance on a victim’s right to know the identity of online stalkers for the first time and widening the use of Stalking Protection Orders.
    • The roll out of The Drive Project across England and Wales which, backed by £53 million, will target high-harm, high-risk domestic abuse perpetrators – taking the responsibility for the abuse away from the victim and putting it firmly on the perpetrator where it belongs.
    • Criminalising pornography that depicts acts of strangulation through the Crime and Policing Bill.

Part of a longer press release at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/better-protection-for-victims-at-risk-of-violence-as-fee-scrapped

October 27, 2025

Accountability after domestic abuse-related suicides and unexplained deaths – Advocacy After Fatal Abuse (AAFDA)

Justice denied? Accountability after domestic abuse-related suicides and unexplained deaths.

AAFDA calls for a new law which captures the culpability of perpetrators of domestic abuse as regards these deaths and which enables juries to see more clearly the causation of suicide from domestic abuse.

Without a new law to clarify this culpability, AAFDA fears that many perpetrators will evade appropriate criminal accountability and that victims’ families will have to continue to live with the pain of justice not being done. AAFDA therefore calls for:

  1. A new law crafted to assist juries to recognise the causative relationship between domestic abuse and suicide and which would attract a similar sentence to the offence of manslaughter.
  2. Coercive control to be brought under the remit of Extended Determinate Sentences.

Launched at the AAFDA national Conference “Tip of the Iceberg” on 25 September 2025.

https://aafda.org.uk/news/accountability-after-domestic-abuse-related-suicides-and-unexplained-deaths

 

October 21, 2025

Study reveals brain connectivity changes in women with post-traumatic stress disorder after sexual assault – Clínic-IDIBAPS

A team from Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS has identified changes in brain connectivity in women who have recently experienced sexual assault and developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The study, presented at the ECNP 2025 Congress in Amsterdam, shows that communication between two key brain regions —the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex— is significantly reduced, which may be related to the emotional dysregulation commonly seen in PTSD following sexual assault.

The first author of the study is Dr Lydia Fortea, researcher at the IDIBAPS group Imaging of Mood and Anxiety-Related Disorders (IMARD). The study is part of a collaborative project between the Programme for the prevention and treatment of psychological consequences in women victims of sexual assault at Hospital Clínic and the IMARD group. The project is co-led by Dr Adriana Fortea, psychiatrist in the programme and IDIBAPS researcher, and Dr Olga Puig, clinical psychologist, programme coordinator and IDIBAPS researcher. The project is supported by the Alicia Koplowitz Foundation and the Pons-Bartran research grant from Hospital Clínic.

The brain impact of emotional trauma

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing a traumatic event. In cases of sexual assault, it is estimated that up to 70% of women develop PTSD, which is characterised by symptoms such as intense fear, anxiety, intrusive memories and nightmares, mood disturbances and hypervigilance.

PTSD following sexual assault tends to be especially severe and may be accompanied by depression, suicidal thoughts and other emotional disorders. Although sexual violence is one of the most common forms of trauma affecting women, most PTSD research has focused on other types of traumatic events, such as war or natural disasters.

When the brain stops communicating

The study analysed brain images from an initial sample of 40 patients —adolescent and adult women— with PTSD following a sexual assault in the past year, compared with a group of women without PTSD or a history of sexual violence, matched by age. Using resting-state functional MRI, the researchers observed that in more than half of the women with PTSD (22 out of 40), communication between the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex —two key regions for managing fear and emotions— was almost completely lost, dropping to near-zero levels.

“The amygdala is responsible for processing emotions such as fear, while the prefrontal cortex helps regulate those emotions. When this connection weakens, the brain may struggle to control fear responses or manage emotional states, which could explain some of the more intense symptoms of PTSD,” explains Lydia Fortea.

Although this brain alteration was not directly linked to the severity of clinical symptoms at this stage, the researchers believe this may be due to the sample size. They expect to find this association in the full study sample, or alternatively, that it may be a core feature of the disorder, beyond its clinical expression.

Towards better understanding and treatment of PTSD

This finding reinforces the idea that PTSD following sexual assault is linked to dysfunctions in brain circuits that regulate fear and emotions, and that these changes appear early after the trauma. The research team suggests that these alterations could help identify patients at higher risk of poor outcomes and guide personalised therapeutic strategies in the future.

https://www.clinicbarcelona.org/en/news/clinic-idibaps-study-reveals-brain-connectivity-changes-in-women-with-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-after-sexual-assault

 

October 21, 2025