Plaid AM Leanne Wood has spoken out today against violence against women as new figures revealed the extent of domestic assaults in Wales.
On International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Leanne Wood released responses received from Welsh police forces under the Freedom of Information Act detailing the number of complaints they received about domestic violence.
In the last four years South Wales Police received almost 64,000 complaints with 2,862 prosecutions during 2008-09. Two people died in the force area in 2008-09 and around three-quarters of the 12,322 domestic violence victims in the last year were women.
North Wales Police reported 11 “domestic homicides” over four years with four in 2008-09 alone. It received 10,220 complaints from women out of a total of 13,174 complaints about domestic violence.
Gwent Police reported four deaths – two each in 2007-08 and 2008-09. It also received more than 26,000 complaints over four years. In Dyfed Powys there were nearly 9,000 complaints over the last three years.
Leanne Wood, who represents South Wales Central, said: “These figures, along with the campaign by Welsh Women’s Aid to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, highlight what a serious problem domestic violence is. It ruins the lives of thousands of women and children in Wales every year.
“It has been estimated that two women die every day in the UK and within North and South Wales and Gwent force areas there were eight deaths last year as a result of domestic violence. That is truly appalling.
“I would like to highlight the work of Women’s Aid in helping women that have been abused. They do a fantastic job,” added Leanne Wood, who is chair of Cwm Cynon Women’s Aid in the Cynon Valley.
