The shock rise in violence against women and girls in England and Wales

Alarming new data has revealed that violence against women and girls in England and Wales has soared by nearly 40% over the past five years, with two million estimated to be affected every year.

The increase of 37% has been described as a "national emergency" by senior police officials, and has prompted calls for urgent action.

The figures have been revealed in the first national analysis of the scale of violence against women and girls (VAWG) by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). They show that incidents including stalking, harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence now account for roughly 20% of recorded crimes in England and Wales.

The rise in violence has been attributed to a combination of factors, including misogynistic online content, the failure of existing systems to protect women and the rise of young men being radicalised.

Specific environments, such as public transport, have seen a dramatic rise in violence, with attacks and assaults on women on railways more than doubling since 2021, particularly during commuting hours.

What’s more, women’s advocacy groups and charities believe these figures underrepresent the true nature of the problem, as many victims do not report their experiences due to fear or lack of confidence in the criminal justice system.

The report states: “We estimate that at least one in every 12 women will be a victim of VAWG every year (2 million victims) and one in 20 adults in England and Wales will be a perpetrator of VAWG every year (2.3 million perpetrators). These are cautious estimates as we know much crime goes unreported and in policing we often only see the tip of the iceberg.”

In response, many are calling for a comprehensive overhaul of the current response to addressing violence against women and girls, including specialised policing hub and more inter-agency collaboration. The British government is also being urged to prioritise the crisis and implement more robust strategies to protect women and girls, while also bringing perpetrators to justice​.

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THE KEY STATS

• Nearly 3,000 violent crimes against women and girls in England and Wales are recorded daily.

• One in six homicides in England and Wales are linked to domestic abuse, or 100 out of the 590 homicides in the year to March 2023.

• More than a million violent crimes against women and girls were recorded between 2022 and 2023 alone in England and Wales.

• One in 12 women in England and Wales are impacted by crimes including stalking, harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence.

• Child sexual abuse and exploitation increased by more than 400% between 2013 and 2022.

• Violent attacks on women on UK railways have more than doubled from 7,561 incidents in 2021 to 11,357 in 2023. 

• More than a third of women who commute by rail have experienced some form of assault.

• Domestic abuse-related arrests increased by 22% in the year ending March 2023.

• On average, it takes a woman seven attempts before she can leave an abusive relationship. 

• It’s estimated that around three women die by suicide every week in the UK as a result of domestic abuse.

• 20% of children in the UK, or one in five, have lived with an adult perpetrating domestic abuse.

• Around 41% of girls in the UK aged 14-17 experience some form of sexual violence from their partner.

• 93% of defendants in domestic abuse cases are male; 84% of victims are female.