Island's 'abuse model' a success

Next Thursday (3 December 2009), is the final session of the Freedom Programme, run by former RAF intelligence analyst Fiona Gwinnett. In a nondescript social services building in the town of Newport, Isle of Wight, up to 19 women have been sitting beside each other for two-hour sessions over the past 12 weeks. They have both laughed and cried while sharing their experiences at the hands of their abusive partners.

Many of them will have been referred there by Hampshire Constabulary's domestic abuse officers in the force's public protection unit. Freedom's statistics suggest the approach is working - 260 women attended the programme in 2008. The figures have risen this year - 167 abused women were on the scheme in the first six months.

The increase shows more cases of abuse are being identified meaning more victims can be helped. Instead of attending "domestic incidents" just to keep the peace, police officers are reporting cases to the force public protection unit.