Academics conclude police response to domestic abuse ‘not fit for purpose’

Academics from Cardiff University have warned that the statutory definition of domestic abuse is too broad to be operationally effective for police, after analysing more than 100,000 cases as part of a major review of Avon and Somerset Police.

The findings come from Project Bright Light, a UK-wide assessment funded by Avon and Somerset’s Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner after Chief Constable Sarah Crew identified domestic abuse as a priority area for reform.

Researchers from Cardiff University’s Security, Crime and Intelligence Innovation Institute led Pillar One of the report, focusing on investigation and safeguarding. They concluded that current national frameworks are struggling to cope with the scale and complexity of domestic abuse cases.

“It’s clear that the current framework for dealing with domestic abuse cases is not fit for purpose,” said Professor Amanda Robinson, the Pillar One lead from Cardiff University’s School of Social Sciences. “It seeks to deal with a wide range of victim-suspect relationships, offence types, safeguarding concerns and justice goals. This single pathway makes it hugely challenging to effectively deliver context-led police investigations.”

Rising demand and increasing complexity

The research found that domestic abuse accounts for more than 20% of Avon and Somerset Police’s workload, with demand rising year on year.

The fastest-growing offences were complex cases such as coercive and controlling behaviour, stalking, non-fatal strangulation and rape. These cases are increasingly being handled by frontline patrol officers rather than specialist investigators, which researchers say risks inconsistent responses.

According to the report, this trend can lead to “inconsistent and inappropriate responses to victims, missed opportunities for disruption and deterrence of perpetrators, and negative impacts from ill-equipped patrol officers.”

Not just a local issue

Professor Robinson said the findings were not unique to Avon and Somerset, warning that similar issues are likely across UK policing.

“Avon and Somerset Police’s approach to domestic abuse is not unique to the way other forces conduct these types of cases and so our findings have UK-wide policy implications,” she said.

Researchers examined domestic abuse incidents recorded between 2022 and 2024, alongside interviews with police units, a review of body-worn video footage, force policies, and comparisons with specialist units in other forces.

A definition too broad for operational policing

One of the key conclusions was that the statutory definition of domestic abuse covers such a wide range of offences and relationships that policing responses struggle to adapt.

Historically, police training and tools have been designed primarily around intimate partner violence. But the report found that incidents involving familial relationships and other contexts now make up a growing share of cases.

“A substantial number of domestic abuse cases do not have a suitable ‘home’,” Professor Robinson said. “They are too high-risk or complex for the frontline to effectively manage but not complex or risky enough to be allocated to detectives.”

This gap in resources, researchers argue, risks leaving victims without appropriate support and perpetrators without effective intervention.

Call for national reform

The Cardiff team is calling for a “transformational national change programme” to reshape how police respond to domestic abuse, including better alignment of specialist resources, clearer pathways for different types of cases, and improved training.

“Our findings point to the need for a transformational national change programme to enable police to consistently deliver victim-centred, suspect-focused, and context-led responses to domestic abuse,” Robinson said.

With domestic abuse demand rising across the UK, the researchers say reforming policing structures will be essential to improving outcomes for victims and holding perpetrators to account.

---

To read similar articles, check out our Leadership channel