HUNDREDS of man-hours are spent every day dealing with the horrific consequences of domestic violence in Sunderland, the Echo reveals today.
Experts tackling abuse in the home – including police, probation and social workers, counsellors, medics and refuge bosses – totalled up the time they spent dealing with domestic violence on one typical day.
Altogether, it showed 291 working hours a
nd three minutes were spent working with victims on Thursday, October 21, last year.
Researchers behind the Day to Count project, the first Wearside-wide survey of its kind, estimate that the cost of policing, rehousing, counselling and legal services to abused partners and families is £10million a year.
Sharon Kane, the city's domestic violence co-ordinator, said: "There's lots of goodwill in the city, with people working together to tackle problems.
"This report shows that's not enough. Funding and resources are needed to provide more refuge places for victims and more training for counsellors who work with perpertrators and children."
Copies of the report – 24-hour snapshot: Estimating the impact of Domestic Violence in Sunderland – will be sent to Solicitor General Harriet Harman, to convince the Government to take the issue "more seriously" said Ms Kane.
Domestic violence is a "hidden crime", she added.Only a quarter of incidents are reported to police, but the report shows that victims are seeking help from other agencies without reporting offences.
Ms Kane added: "A total of 1,300 questionnaires were sent out to people who were likely deal with domestic violence and this produced a return of 127 completed replies. It is vital we remember there may have been many cases that were dealt with where a return was not made.
"And this is just a snapshot summary, which is not likely to accurately reflect just how much work does take place across the city during the course of a day."
The report revealed police spent a total of 54 man-hours tackling domestic violence, with Wearside Women in Need workers clocking up 169 hours helping victims and their families.
The biggest task facing campaigners is convincing the public not to turn a blind eye to domestic violence.
"Report what you see, anonymously if you have to, but don't think it's not your problem. Domestic violence is unacceptable," said Ms Kane.
A total of 5,340 incidents of domestic violence were reported to police in Sunderland in the 12 months up to April last year.
Police recently launched a public protection unit, covering domestic violence.
A Northumbria force spokesman said: "We want to encourage victims of domestic violence to come forward – women and men – the first time. Don't wait for the second or third attack. Report the first one. Early intervention is the best sort of intervention."
