Suffolk launches new strategy to tackle violence against women and girls

Why it matters: Despite Suffolk being generally safe, domestic abuse represents 16% of all recorded crime in the county – very slightly higher than the national average of 15.8%. The strategy aims to create lasting change through coordinated community action.

The big picture: The Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy was formally endorsed by the Suffolk Safer and Stronger Communities Board in March 2025, marking a significant milestone in the county's coordinated response to abuse.

• Suffolk recorded 14,300 domestic abuse reports in the year ending September 2024 – a 10% decrease from the previous year.

• Sexual offence reports totalled 1,962, down 12% from the previous year.

• However, support services are seeing increasing demand as more people come forward.

The details: The strategy is built around four key ambitions:

• Stop the abuse before it starts

• Support every survivor

• Hold abusers accountable

• Build a united front

The approach places victim and survivor experiences at its heart, shaped through extensive engagement with those affected, support services, and frontline professionals.

What's concerning: Research involving over 9,000 young people in Suffolk found:

• 30% had witnessed sexual harassment at school, including sharing sexual images and threats.

• Almost 30% witnessed unwanted messages of a sexual nature.

• 32% of Year 9 students witnessed "unwanted sexual behaviour" compared to 6% of Year 13 students

The strategy also highlights growing concerns about technology-enabled abuse, including cyberstalking, revenge porn, use of smart home devices for control, and spyware to track victims.

What they're saying: One survivor shared: "Having to wait for services is hard when you want to do something about it. And then, if you're in that right frame of mind that you want to get help and you want to get support, and if it's not there, you're going back."

Councillor Philip Faircloth-Mutton, Cabinet Member for Environment, Communities and Equality and Chair of the Suffolk Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: "These are complex issues that require a joined-up approach, with action across all parts of our community. This strategy provides a shared vision and a plan for how we can work together to create lasting change in Suffolk."

The response: The multi-agency approach brings together district and borough councils, Suffolk Police, health services, probation agencies, and voluntary organisations. The VAWG Steering Group has already trained over 1,400 Domestic Abuse Champions across the county.

Suffolk offers comprehensive specialist support services, including refuge accommodation, Independent Domestic Violence Advisors for high-risk cases, a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, children's services, and perpetrator programmes.

What's next: Partners will develop a detailed action plan to drive change through effective partnership working, focusing on the strategy's vision for everyone in Suffolk to play their part in preventing and identifying violence against women and girls.

The bottom line: Suffolk's new strategy represents a coordinated effort to tackle domestic abuse and sexual violence through prevention, support, accountability, and community partnership - addressing crimes that continue to affect too many people despite overall safety in the county.