‘Unjust’ six-month time limit for reporting domestic abuse to police must be extended, MPs urge

The government must urgently extend the “unjust” six-month time limit for domestic abuse victims to report domestic physical violence to the police, according to MPs who are to raise the issue in parliament.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper has tabled an amendment to overhaul the law, and has received cross-party support.

She told The Independent the current deadline to report means domestic abuse victims are “being badly let down”.

The amendment to the policing bill, shared exclusively with The Independent ahead of the legislation entering its committee stage in parliament next week, calls for domestic abuse survivors to be able to report abuse up to two years after the offence took place.

Ms Cooper, who chairs the all-party home affairs committee, said: “Too many domestic abuse cases are currently not prosecuted because they are timed out by a six-month limit on common assault prosecutions.

“But unlike with other crimes, in domestic abuse cases, there are obvious and serious reasons why victims may take more time to report the abuse to the police, especially where there is an ongoing abusive relationship.

“This means many women who do find the courage to come forward and report these incidents are being badly let down because time has run out and the perpetrator is never charged. That can leave victims feeling more vulnerable than ever, while the perpetrators go on to commit more crimes.”

The Labour MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford said the government must address “this injustice” if it is actually “serious” about trying to solve violence against women and girls.

A woman is killed by a current or previous partner every four days in England and Wales. While a woman will try to leave a violent partner an average of seven times before eventually managing to flee.

Ruth Davison, chief executive of Refuge, Britain’s largest provider of shelters for domestic abuse victims, told The Independent they fully back the proposed amendment to the 1998 Criminal Justice Act to lengthen the existing six-month time limit for common assault in instances of domestic abuse.

“Currently too many perpetrators of domestic abuse are dodging convictions, due to charges ‘timing out’, she added. “We know due to the complex nature of domestic abuse, many survivors cannot report these crimes immediately, and these offences often take time to investigate. The proposed amendments will mean justice for more survivors of domestic abuse.”

The amendment to the controversial policing bill, which has gained fierce criticism for other elements, has gained the support of Conservative MPs, Tim Loughton and Simon Fell, as well as Labour MPs, Harriet Harman and Diane Abbott.

Lucy Hadley, of Women’s Aid, leading domestic abuse charity, previously told MPs in a Home Affairs Committee evidence session she had spoken to a survivor whose abusive partner returned in the first national lockdown last year.

“She only reported the abuse she experienced in August,” Ms Hadley added. “The charges of actual bodily harm (ABH) were downgraded to common assault, but there is a six-month statutory time limit on reporting common assault, so that meant it was too late for her and all the charges were dropped.”

Domestic abuse has soared during the public health crisis as lockdown measures have trapped victims indoors with their perpetrators and inflamed pre-existing patterns of abuse.

The national domestic abuse hotline saw a 65 per cent increase in calls during the first lockdown last year, while research by Women’s Aid discovered one in seven victims currently enduring abuse at the hands of their partners said it had got worse in the wake of the pandemic.

A petition, started by domestic abuse campaigner Erica Osakwe, demanding time limits to be scrapped in cases of domestic abuse has amassed more than 64,000 signatures. Sali Hughes, an author and journalist, shared the petition alongside a personal story about a friend who allegedly suffered domestic abuse.

While Farah Nazeer, chief executive at Women’s Aid, told The Independent six-month time limits can “pose real challenges” for those who have suffered domestic violence.

“We know women often may not be safe or able to report the abuse they’ve experienced for months or years after it’s happened,” she added. “The time limit poses yet another barrier to accessing justice for survivors, so we urge MPs and the government to back these amendments.”

A government spokesperson said: “All allegations of domestic abuse should be investigated and pursued rigorously through the courts, and there is no time limit on reporting crimes such as bodily harm or coercive control.

“We have invested millions into victims’ support throughout the pandemic, and continue to urge anyone at risk to get the help they need.”

Anyone who requires help or support can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline which is open 24/7 365 days per year on 0808 2000 247 or via their website https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/