CASES of violence against women in West Mercia have increased in the past year but successful prosecutions for rape, sexual offences and domestic violence are all above the national average.
The county’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) handled 1,254 cases of violent offences against women in 2009/10, a two per cent increase on the previous year.
Of these 976 were successfully prosecuted, a conviction rate of 78 per cent compared with the national average of 72 per cent.
Domestic violence cases accounted for 1,036, of these 810 were successfully prosecuted – a conviction rate of 78 per cent, compared with the national rate of 72 per cent.
A total of 59 rape cases were handled last year with 35 successful prosecutions – a conviction rate of 63 per cent compared with the national rate of 59 per cent.
There were 159 sexual offences cases, excluding rape, last year with 131 being prosecuted successfully.
The conviction rate of 82 per cent is well above the national average of 76 per cent.
Colin Chapman, deputy chief crown prosecutor for West Midlands CPS, said the figures should give people the confidence to report all incidents of domestic violence and rape to police.
He said: “Domestic violence is serious and destructive. It ruins lives, breaks up families and has a lasting impact.
“We are working with our partners in the local criminal justice system as well as local support groups to look at ways in which we can improve our services to victims of such crimes.
"We now have a dedicated team of specialist lawyers who are trained in dealing with such cases in a sensitive manner, but we are committed to more.
"I would urge anyone who is a victim of any form of domestic or sexual abuse not suffer in silence and come forward and report this to the police.
“This also applies to friends or family members. If they know someone who is being abused, then help them and help us in bringing the offenders to justice.
"The criminal justice system will support victim and witnesses throughout the prosecution process.
“My message to the perpetrators is very simple – what you are doing is a criminal offence, you will be caught and we will prosecute you robustly.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here