NEARLY 500 new domestic abuse victims came forward last year with the police warning of increased pressure on the cash-strapped force.

Thames Valley Police and support charities say they are dealing with a surge in reports of both domestic abuse and sexual offences because people are more confident in speaking out.

Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Anthony Stansfeld said: “It is a very big challenge. Far more people are reporting and so far more is being done about it.

“It is a good thing but obviously an issue because we are having to deal with a lot more.”

Between April last year and March this year, almost 10,000 reports of domestic abuse have been reported to the police across Oxfordshire, an average of 27 every day.

Last year more than 9,300 victims came forward, up from about 8,800 the previous year.

In just four months between January and April this year there were 3,019 reported victims.

The Home Office states that domestic abuse covers psychological, physical, sexual and emotional abuse by intimate partners or family members.

Reports of sexual offences across Oxfordshire have risen by 29 per cent in the last year.

As revealed by the Oxford Mail in July there were 693 sex crimes reported in the county between April last year and March this year – up from 536 the previous year.

In the same period there were 166 rapes – 65 of which were in Oxford. This compares to 152 the period before – 52 of which were in Oxford.

Total crime in Oxfordshire has dropped by about three per cent to 35,264 in 2013/14 – sexual offences and reports of domestic abuse made up nine per cent of the total crime between April 2013 and March – compared to six per cent in the period before.

Operation Bullfinch – launched in 2011 to investigate child sex exploitation in Oxford – has so far seen nine men jailed for more than 100 years for sex crimes dating back to 2004.

Mr Stansfeld said protecting and supporting victims of sex and domestic abuse were among his top priorities and he was glad to see more victims coming forward to get justice and support but warned it was putting pressure on resources.

Last month Chief Constable Sara Thornton said despite the force having to save £38m over the next three years, protecting the vulnerable would remain their top priority and a new multi-agency safeguarding hub (Mash) is due to start at Cowley police station this month. The hub will be made up of police officers, social and health workers, sharing information to identify and protect the county’s most vulnerable – including domestic and sex abuse victims.

But support charities say they need more funding to cope with demand – at a time when Oxfordshire County Council is consulting on proposals to cut annual funding for domestic abuse services in the county by 40 per cent – from £331,000 to £199,000 from April 2016.

Romy Briant, chairwoman of the Oxfordshire Domestic Abuse Strategy Group, said: “More people are seeking help; that is wonderful and the earlier the better.

“We know how to keep people safe and people are seeking help, but there are pressures on services and we are identifying far more people at a higher risk.”

She said: “We need to expand our services, but there is not the money to do it.”

She said police, charities and local authorities were working well together to provide support for victims against the cuts and that support groups had hoped a £1m victims of crime fund launched by the PCC last month could help cover the funding gap.

Lisa Ward, acting service manager at the Oxford Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre, warned there were many more victims still not coming forward.

She said: “We also see a yearly rise in the number of women we support, partly due to our increasing service provision and as more women become aware of our support.

“We also know, however, that there are likely to be many more women who have experienced sexual violence who are not accessing our service; so ensuring funding for varied services to meet the differing needs of survivors is always a priority for our organisation.“ County council spokesman Marcus Mabberley said no decision had been made on savings proposals.

He said: “A review will take place following the consultation, which will involve users, providers and stakeholders and a further public consultation will then be conducted on its recommendations regarding services for those who experience domestic abuse."

Thames Valley Police was asked to comment, but did not respond.

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