Big rise in number of offenders who beat restraining orders

Thugs convicted of breaching restraining orders are being let off with a slap on the wrist at a soaring rate of 13 a DAY.

Use of restraining orders, which are issued by courts to ban abusers from contacting their victims, has quadrupled over the past five years.

But the number of offenders breaching them has rocketed at the same rate, and around two-thirds of those convicted of a breach are let straight back on to the streets.

It means thousands of victims, the majority of them abused women, are left to live in fear of their abuser striking again.

Campaigners claim thousands of domestic abuse victims are being let down and can no longer rely on the law to protect them.

Polly Neate, of Women’s Aid, said: “Restraining orders and injunctions can be useful tools in protecting survivors of domestic violence from further violence and abuse from the perpetrator.

“However, it’s essential that they are used as part of a wider package of support and protection that the police are able to offer to a woman who has experienced abuse.

“Often, when a perpetrator of domestic violence has subjected their victim to years of controlling behaviour and violence, a restraining order will not be an immediately effective way of stopping the abuse, especially if a breach of that order is not taken seriously.

“We know that many restraining orders and injections are breached, and therefore are not always an effective way of keeping a perpetrator away.”

Figures uncovered through a parliamentary question have revealed in 2009, 5,074 yobs were issued with a restraining order in England and Wales.

The orders are made by a judge to protect victims of domestic violence and stop the offender making any contact with them. But in just five years their use had quadrupled, with 20,304 restraining orders handed out in 2013, the latest available figures.

In the same 12-month period, however, 6,336 offenders were convicted of breaching restraining orders and just 2,236 of them around one-third were sent to jail.

And Ms Neate said there may be many more people who breach restraining orders because of inadequate policing.

She added: “The police response to breaches is inconsistent and, to best protect abused women, it is vital that all restraining order and injunction breaches are taken seriously across all police forces.”

The revelations come after Office for National Statistics figures revealed a shocking 1.4 million women and 700,000 men suffered domestic abuse last year equivalent to 5,700 a day.

The report also revealed a hidden link between poverty and domestic abuse, with women living in the poorest households three times more likely to be victims of domestic abuse, including stalking, than those in higher-income families.

Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith, who uncovered the figures, admitted restraining orders do not provide a sufficient deterrent.

He said: “Restraining orders are important but they are breached too often by too many people and I think there’s a strong case that sentencing needs to be revised to provide a much harsher deterrent.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Restraining orders can be imposed by a court dealing with a person for any offence where it feels such an order is necessary.

“The final decision to make a restraining order is for the independent judges. Breaching a restraining order carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

“Decisions on varying or discharging such orders are for judges and magistrates, who will make their decision based on the full facts of the individual case they are hearing.”

National Policing Lead for Violence and Public Protection Portfolio, Deputy Chief Constable Andrew Cooke: “Protecting survivors of domestic abuse and violence is a priority for the police service. Senior police officers in each local area play an active role in Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) meetings, which provide a holistic approach to protect the most high risk victims of domestic abuse. Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) can also be used to manage offenders. “The whole police family is involved in the National Policing Domestic Abuse Action Plan, which aims to achieve a consistent approach across the country. “Officers now have a better understanding of the powers available to them, which has led to a rise in the number of restraining orders being granted in cases of domestic abuse. We are also using new powers such as domestic violence protection orders, the domestic violence disclosure scheme and the introduction of the new offence of controlling and coercive behaviour “We will consider carefully concerns that forces are using an inconsistent approach to managing breaches of such orders to see if there is more for us to do.”