Police confront home violence domestic assault

MORE THAN 1,500 people have been charged with domestic violence in a crackdown on assaults in homes in Scotland.

For the past six months Strathclyde police, whose area includes Glasgow, have taken a more active approach to reports of domestic assaults. They have collected extra forensic evidence and witness statements from neighbours in an effort to bring charges and arrests whenever possible.

In the first six months 1,446 men and 65 women were charged with assaulting or threatening their partners or former partners. Out of nearly 5,000 reported domestic disputes since February, a total of 1,733 violent incidents involving partners or ex-partners were recorded. The more serious cases included:

A woman dying from a health condition who was punched and slapped by her husband in their home;

A pregnant woman who was forced to seek medical advice about her unborn baby after her husband punched her in the stomach;

A woman whose husbandpoured hot water over her face and chest after he had already thrown hot coffee at her and punched her;

A young wheelchair-bound woman who was lifted out of her chair and thrown back into it during a row with her partner.