SHORTCOMINGS in how courts deal with domestic abuse cases have been identified in a new report.

Wiltshire club members of Soroptimist International, the global women’s volunteer organisation, are urging MPs to press the Secretary of State for Justice to take urgent action to protect victims of domestic abuse seeking justice and to ensure that Specialist Domestic Abuse Courts (SDAC) do not add to their trauma.

This comes after a report published on June 26 highlighted the court's "serious shortcomings".

The report collates research done by more than 200 Soroptimists attending more than 30 courts across England and completing questionnaires about what they saw.

It involved 4,000 hours of volunteer time and more than 1,000 questionnaires were submitted.

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Independent observers highlighted a lack of support to victims giving evidence in court, poor use of technology, inadequate implementation of domestic abuse training given to court officials and the need for a total review of the Victim Personal Statement system.

According to the Soropotomists, 'best practice' was only observed in Westminster SDAC and Nottingham Magistrates Court.

The report evidences a gap between reported offences of coercive control and successful convictions.

A spokesperson for Soroptimist International said: "Domestic Abuse has been categorised as a national threat under the new strategic policing requirement.

"The government has laid out promising plans to prioritise the prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls and to introduce tougher legislation on perpetrators who are convicted of Coercive and Controlling Behaviour, which for the first time will be put on a par with physical violence."

Proposed measures include new civil orders, digital tools for the early identification of dangerous perpetrators, and additional funding for both specialist victim support programmes and perpetrator behavioural interventions.

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The report shows that of the cases observed,  most sentences imposed were financial and that perpetrator interventions were ordered in just 56 of 626 cases observed.

The spokesperson added: "It is particularly concerning that most victims, in the cases observed, did not receive advocacy from Independent Domestic Violence Advisors and that the safety of victims was not properly ensured either inside and or outside the courts."

Seven recommendations have been made which are available to read in the full report by clicking here.