Lawyer pilot in domestic abuse battle

The borough currently sees about 600 incidents a month — around two-thirds of which are recorded as crimes.

Rotherham’s domestic abuse police team has been working with the Crown Prosecution Service to help bring more perpetrators to court.

Under the pilot, a dedicated lawyer is reviewing each case which meets the threshold prosecution.

This builds on earlier work related to evidence-led prosecutions, where the victim does not have to engage in the criminal justice process.

We know that if we get people that are specialised in this area, we get better outcomes,” said Chief Supt Laura Koscikiewicz, Rotherham’s district commander.

“It’s really good practice. It’s not happening in many places around the country but it is still in the very early stages.”

Data on how well the pilot has worked will be available within three months but Supt Andy Wright said anecdotal feedback from officers was positive, with the lawyer’s role as a dedicated and specialist point of contact being “really beneficial”.

Deputy Chief Constable Tim Forber noted the force’s progress in fighting domestic abuse in the past five years.

He said: “Our arrest rates on domestic abuse are significantly higher than many forces. Outcome rates are good.

“Our use of domestic violence protection notices is also at the forefront of law enforcement in the UK.”