INCIDENTS of domestic violence remain a cause for concern across North Solihull, a new report suggests.
Crime figures compiled for last year show that 1,173 offences were recorded across the borough, an increase of 15 per cent. In Chelmsley Wood there were 41 incidents in January to March – the highest number out of the 17 wards which make up Solihull.
During the same three-month period, there were 40 offences in Kingshurst & Fordbridge and 32 in Smith’s Wood.
The report, presented to Solihull Council last month, suggests that support services for victims have been stretched to breaking point.
As previously reported in Other Side of Solihull, an additional £640,000 has been released by the Government to help deal with the problem across the West Midlands.
But the document suggests this extra help may be offset by a redistribution of resources by the region’s Police and Crime Commissioner.
Summarising the situation, the report claimed services were working “at full capacity” and that while staff were prioritising the most serious cases, demand still “heavily outweighed” the help available.
The difficulties facing the support network have been well-publicised both locally and nationwide. Last month it was reported that the number of cases reaching court across the region had in fact fallen last year – largely due to a lack of evidence or victims withdrawing support for charges.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Women’s Aid, said: “We know that not all survivors of domestic abuse want a criminal justice outcome.
“However, what these figures show is that, for those who do, there is still a very real culture of victim-blaming and fear that stops survivors from accessing justice.”
Other key findings from the Safer Solihull report included:
* There were a total of 13,626 offences reported across the borough in 2016/17.
* Castle Brom remains one of the hotspots for burglaries, with 38 break-ins in the final quarter.
* Chelmsley Wood saw the highest level of vehicle crime in the borough.
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