Women's Aid campaigners in Inverclyde say they are doing everything then can to ensure victims report incidents of domestic abuse - and that the safety of women and children is at the heart of the service.
Linda Harkin from Inverclyde Women's Aid spoke to the Tele after the release of statistics this week suggesting that reported domestic abuse in Inverclyde has fallen to its lowest level in a decade.
Those figures covered the 12 months to March 31, 2024 - but separate Police Scotland statistics, reported by the Telegraph, for the five months from April 1 this year, revealed that domestic abuse incidents in the area have risen by 19.5 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.
Linda said: "Our focus is supporting directly the women and children in Inverclyde who are affected by domestic abuse.
"Regardless of statistics, ensuring they have support and a safe place to be is always our top priority.
"We are aware of the figures published recently and of changes to how incidents are recorded and reported.
"That’s why we continue to work in partnership with Police Scotland and the Inverclyde Violence Against Women and Girls Partnership to make sure that people who want to report domestic abuse are able to do so safely, and to tackle any barriers that there may be in doing so.
"This partnership is committed to working together to prevent violence and abuse and to provide safety, positive outcomes and recovery for anyone affected.
"At the same time, justice for those who experience violence, abuse and exploitation, and accountability for those who perpetrate it, is also a priority."
The latest Scottish Government statistics revealed that there were 747 domestic abuse incidents recorded by police in Inverclyde during the 12 months to March 31, 2024.
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That compares to a total of 806 the previous year, and continues a year-on-year fall in reported incidents in the area dating back to 935 in 2019-20.
The number of incidents per 10,000 people in Inverclyde has also dropped to a 10-year low – from 103 per 10,000 residents in 2022-23 to 95 last year.
However, a report to Inverclyde Council's local police and fire scrutiny panel showed that there were 365 incidents of domestic abuse recorded in Inverclyde between April 1 and August 31 - up from 305 in the same period during 2023.
In the report police state: “Caution should be exercised in comparing the number of domestic abuse which involved crimes being recorded, and the detection rate, due to a change in methodology and counting rules in the current reporting year, arising from the introduction of new recording systems.”
READ MORE: Domestic abuse is on the rise in Inverclyde, report reveals - but crime overall is down
Ms Harkin said Women's Aid would encourage people to report domestic abuse, and that they will continue offering help to anyone who comes to them and asks.
She said: "We continue to support the women and children who come to us for help, and we would encourage anyone who experiences domestic abuse to contact the police where it’s safe for them to do so.
"You can also contact Inverclyde Women’s Aid for advice and assistance on 01475 888 505."
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