Domestic Abuse Victims Face Jail Under New U.K. Law

Women in the U.K. are being criminalized under new laws for assaulting emergency workers—often after calling the police to report abusive partners—Sian Norris reported for openDemocracy.

At least 1,486 women accused of assaulting emergency workers between 2020 and 2024 were known survivors of domestic abuse.

One such case is Jane*, who contacted the police when her abusive ex arrived outside her home.

Despite his aggressive behavior, officers said he was not in violation of her restraining order. When Jane became upset, she was arrested. “I got angry and kicked off,” she told the Prison Reform Trust. “So they arrested me.”

An openDemocracy investigation found that at least 1,486 women accused of assaulting emergency workers between 2020 and 2024 were known survivors of domestic abuse.

The true number may be higher, as only seven out of 43 police forces in England and Wales provided data.

Most forces said they don’t track whether those arrested had a history of domestic abuse.

“These data confirm what we see every day in our frontline work,” said Lucy Russell of Women in Prison. “Women are being criminalized for the domestic abuse they experience, often as a direct result of trauma.”