Mid and West Wales AM, Joyce Watson, has hosted a cross-party event at the National Assembly for Wales to launch a new report about domestic abuse in Wales.Amy Kitcher and Morgan Fackrell from Women’s Aid joined AMs from every party to present findings to the Minister for Social Justice, Brian Gibbons. The report found that one in four women in Wales will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lives.
This year, the Welsh Women’s Aid refuges accommodated 1407 women and 1228 children and provided additional support to over 20,000 women and children. The report also found a 15% increase in the numbers accessing refuges in Wales from last year.
Joyce Watson AM said: “This is just the latest study to show how prevalent domestic abuse is. The very sad truth is that the ‘one in four’ figure has been around for a long time.
“Many women escaping domestic abuse don’t have access to personal finances, which is why refuge accommodation and services like Drop-in support and the domestic abuse helpline are so important.
“The message that this report sends out is that domestic violence affects all types of people in all areas of Wales. “
Joyce Watson AM continued: “A woman will be assaulted an average of 35 times before reporting it to the police and it is vital that they have access to the right support when and where they need it. “
The Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline was launched by the Assembly Government in 2006. The service provides free, confidential advice and support on 0808 80 10 800
