In Attorney General questions today I challenged the UK Government over a fall in the number of domestic abuse prosecutions during lockdown. I also called for more specialist Domestic Violence courts, which provide a tailored service for victims and can help improve conviction rates.

In the first lockdown domestic abuse cases accounted for a fifth of recorded crimes in Wales and England, but according to the most recent stats there was a 19% fall in the number of domestic violence prosecutions.

Speaking virtually in the Commons, I said “Around a fifth of crimes recorded in lockdown have involved domestic abuse, and there’s real concern that the number of specialist Domestic Violence courts seem to be reducing. Will the minister commit to strengthen the system and increase the number of these specialised courts so that we can support the hard work of our police and we can support victims at trial?”

In response, the Solicitor General Michael Ellis said that the government was “always looking at ways in which we can support those engaged in this important work” and that the Crown Prosecution Service was continuing to prioritise domestic abuse cases.