Men targeted in new domestic violence campaign
The Metropolitan Police is to specifically target men in a new hard-hitting domestic violence campaign launched today.
The London-wide campaign speaks directly to male abusers and warns them that the police no longer need the victim’s statement to make an arrest.
Ads will be placed in specifically male environments where men least expect to be confronted with the issue and will start with lines such as: “Relax, go ahead and read. No one can tell you’re a wife beater.”
Men who abuse women account for 85 per cent of all reported incidents and the majority of violent assaults, according to Met figures.
“We understand how distressing it is if the person you love subjects you to physical and psychological abuse, and how hard it is to report them to police,” said commissioner Sir Ian Blair.
“Since the new service level agreement was signed with the Crown Prosecution Service, we are now taking action against offenders without the support of the victim and have seen a number of successful prosecutions of this kind.
“Abusers need to realise that there are no longer any safe houses for men who commit domestic violence and that they can no longer hide behind their partners’ fear.”
The print, poster and text campaigns will be visible in pubs, football grounds and leisure centres, as well as running in London’s Metro and Evening Standard newspapers.
Sandra Horley, chief executive of national domestic violence charity Refuge, welcomed the new campaign, adding: “For too long society has turned a blind eye.
“Domestic violence affects us all – perpetrators need to know that they cannot get away with violent crime and women and children need to know that they will be protected.”
