Agencies from across South Gloucestershire and surrounding areas are meeting this week to finalise plans for the implementation of Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) – the first of which will take place on Wednesday 17 May.
This move is the next step in South Gloucestershire Domestic Violence Forum’s strategy which aims to prevent domestic violence wherever possible and ensure the safety and justice for victims and their children.
Charlotte Badlan, domestic violence co-ordinator for Safer South Gloucestershire, said: “I am confident that MARACs will prove to be an invaluable tool for us in South Gloucestershire. I am excited about the proactive responses of agencies to work together to provide comprehensive action against the crime of domestic violence and the physical, emotional and financial impact it has on all its victims.”
In the UK, two women are murdered every week and 30 men every year through domestic violence, and although very under-reported, research suggests it accounts for 16 per cent of all violent crime, has more repeat victims than any other crime – and average 35 assaults before a victim calls the police, and costs in excess of £23bn annually.
MARACs have been piloted in Cardiff with overwhelming success. The aim of MARACs is to provide a forum for sharing information and taking actions that will reduce future harm to very high-risk victims and their children – identified through the police risk assessment process.
Detective Inspector Rob Barker of Avon and Somerset Police’s domestic abuse investigations team (South Gloucestershire District), said: "It is worrying to learn that one in four women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lives and not surprising that domestic violence has the highest repeat victimisation rate of any crime. It is important that further awareness is created about domestic violence to drive down these alarming statistics. I fully support the introduction of MARACs which will help to prevent incidents from occurring. I am hopeful that this latest move will also provide victims with more confidence to report incidents.
The first MARAC was held in Cardiff during April 2003 and was attended by members of 16 agencies, including police, probation, council, health, housing, refuge and the Women’s Safety Unit. Evidence shows that MARACs have success in reducing re-victimisation, improving inter-agency working, reducing child protection notifications to social services and increasing victim’s sense of safety.
Dawn Taylor, chief executive of domestic violence charity Survive, said: “This presents a real step forward for working against domestic violence in South Gloucestershire. This level of cooperation between statutory and voluntary agencies is unprecedented in the fight against domestic violence and we look forward to the benefits this will bring to survivors, their children and the wider community.
“The success of MARACs is about being focused on taking real action that will make a difference rather than being a talking shop and there is a real commitment from agencies to ensure this happens.”
ENDS