Child-on-parent domestic abuse revealed in Bedford as cases become more violent and complex

Even though Bedford Borough Council has not experienced a dramatic increase in domestic abuse cases, the children’s services overview and scrutiny committee heard this may be because victims are able to access help themselves.

Claire Dempster, the council’s senior officer for domestic abuse strategy and interventions, said in her report: “It has been reported via the ambulance service and has been evidenced in both Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire that the severity of injuries to victims has increased during lockdown with more victims requiring A&E admissions for treatment.”

The kinds of injuries suffered by victims were not explored during the meeting which also heard that cases are becoming “more complex”.

These include mental health issues, drug and alcohol and parents injured by children, the report said.

The meeting also heard the borough is joining a scheme called “Safe Spaces” where victims of domestic abuse will be able to get help from high street pharmacies and at children’s centres.

When victims use a password, they will be able to use a consulting room to find out details of where to turn to for help.

Claire Dempster said: “Any victim will be able to walk into a pharmacy or a children’s centre.

“They will be able to go in and say they need a safe space, using a code word that hasn’t been decided yet.

“They will be offered a room with information on support services and get help.”

The council is also gearing up for a new domestic abuse act coming into force in 2021, where it will be given more duties to help victims.

Councillors were told that the number of domestic abuse victims has not risen dramatically in comparison to the same period last year, and “we have not seen an influx since restrictions were lifted.”

In the year to March 2020 the borough looked into 327 cases involving households with 549 children.

And in the six months to September it reviewed 170 cases with households containing 230 children.

The report to the committee added that the government definition of domestic abuse only applied to people aged over 16.

The borough will “only hear child on parent referrals when both parties are over 16.

“In these cases, the parent as the victim is less likely to support police action or accept help from support services; they just want their child to receive treatment for their issues.”

Martin Purbrick, the council’s chief officer for children’s services, said that having schools open during the looming second lockdown “may alleviate pressures on families.”

He told the committee that the council is also extremely busy dealing with child safety concerns, which are also displaying multiple time-consuming issues.