Six people a day are domestic abuse victims in Brent
Cllr Beswick and Cllr Butt sign a pledge on White Ribbon Day last November. - Credit: Archant
Figures show more than 2,000 cases reported in 2011/12
At least six people per day were victims of domestic abuse in Brent last year, the Times can reveal.
Figures obtained from Brent Police show that more than 2,000 cases were reported in 2011/12.
However, national domestic violence charity Refuge estimated that nearly half of all incidents never get reported, indicating that the figures are just the tip of the iceberg.
According to their figures, one in four women are abused during their lifetime and two are killed each week.
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A spokesman for Brent Council said they had made progress tackling the issue in recent years but added: “We know that in Brent, as elsewhere, there are many more cases than the figures suggest.”
Cllr Lincoln Beswick, lead member for crime and community safety at the council, told the Times that they must continue to work to stamp out violence in the home.
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He said: “It’s a vicious circle. Not only does it affect the relationship at home, it also has an affect on children. For everyone’s sake we have to work to stamp it out. We don’t want people to suffer in silence when they can come forward in confidence.”
Cllr Beswick said there were currently proposals underway to donate left-over Ward Working money, which the council spends on ward activities, to Harlesden based charity Victim Support. The centre, in Morland Gardens, operates independently from the police and local authority and provides free and confidential advice to victims of crime.
At the end of last year Cllr Beswick and Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, publicly declared their support to work towards ending violence against women and to do more to tackle domestic violence by signing a pledge on White Ribbon Day.
The White Ribbon Campaign is the UK branch of a global effort to ensure men take more responsibility for reducing the level of violence against women.
A spokesman for Brent Council added: “The council is working with Brent Police and other community safety partners to combat domestic violence.”
