Perpetrators

From April 2000 to June 2001 there were 30,314 offences under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 in London alone (Metropolitan Police Service). A study carried out by the Home Office found that a third (41%) of cases brought to the courts under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, the suspect had previously had an intimate relationship with the complainant. 33% of the suspects were ex-partners, 4% were relatives, 1% a current partner and 4% were friends. In situations where the suspect previously or currently had an intimate relationship with the victim, 94% of the suspects were men (Home Office Research Study 203, 2000).

The British Crime Survey conducted in 2000 found that women are most likely to be sexually attacked by men who are known to them. 45% of rapes reported to the survey were perpetrated by current partners. (Home Office Research Study 237, 2002).

One Scottish survey found that a majority of men who said that they were victims of domestic violence were also perpetrators of violence (13 of 22), and on being re-interviewed, a further 13 later said they had actually never experienced any form of domestic abuse. (Scottish Executive Central Research Unit, 2002).

During the year 2001, there were a total of 20,968 non-molestation orders made under part IV of the Family Law Act 1996 (17,414 with a power of arrest attached and 3,554 without a power of arrest attached). (Lord Chancellor's Department, July 2002).

75% of the women with non-molestation orders in the "Routes to Safety" study said that these order had made some difference. (Humphreys & Thiara, 2002).