SURVIVORS of domestic abuse across North Wales will be better protected thanks to the expansion of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders.
From today, victims in this part of the country – as well as their friends, families or support workers – can apply for these orders in the family court at Caernarfon, Prestatyn or Wrexham. Police can also apply on their behalf in the magistrates’ court for protection against abusers. This comes as the Government reiterates its commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade as part of its Plan for Change.
Domestic Abuse Protection Orders build on existing police powers, providing stronger protection for victims including forcing perpetrators to stick to strict exclusion zones wearing GPS tags and attending substance misuse or mental health interventions.
Unlike current schemes, these orders cover all types of domestic abuse – including physical, controlling, or coercive behaviour, economic abuse and stalking – and can be issued by all courts. There will also be no maximum duration for these orders, compared to the 28-days current protection orders offer.
In the year to March 2024, North Wales Police granted 462 Domestic Violence Protection Notices and made over 350 applications under Clare’s Law to help protect victims of domestic abuse. These figures show why more flexible, streamlined tools like Domestic Abuse Protection Orders will further help victims.
Today marks the second expansion after the successful launch in Greater Manchester, three London boroughs (Croydon, Bromley and Sutton) and with the British Transport Police in November 2024 – with orders also rolled out across Cleveland in March. Between 27 November and 31 March, over 100 Domestic Abuse Protection Orders have been secured in Greater Manchester alone, with the police dealing with 45 breaches and jail time handed down to some of those who breached the order.
Since then, there have been multiple convictions for breach of an order with some perpetrators already behind bars. A maximum sentence for a breach of a Domestic Abuse Protection Orders is five years in prison.
Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones, said: “The pilot of DAPOs is already helping a number of victims across England, ending the cycle of abuse trapping them in their own homes. I am now pleased to be expanding this to selected areas in my home country of Wales.
“Launching initially in North Wales, the rollout will continue to protect even more victims, and this helps to contribute to our Plan for Change.
“These orders work, and it’s imperative that victims – predominantly women – in pilot areas know where and how to access them. If you’re experiencing abuse, contact your local family court, police, or your support worker today to help access a DAPO for the safety you deserve.”
Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, said: “Time and time again, victims of domestic abuse tell me their safety has been compromised by a system that fails to protect them properly.
“That’s why these new domestic abuse protection orders are not paper promises – they are real, practical tools that track abusers through electronic tagging, creating exclusion zones, and mandating attendance at behaviour change programmes.
“Rolling out these orders to North Wales marks an important step in gathering more valuable insight as we work towards wider expansion across the country.
“This is how we’ll deliver on our mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade – through concrete actions that truly protect victims and hold perpetrators to account.”
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: “The UK Government is working to make our communities safer, and it is vital that we reduce violence against women and girls to achieve this goal.
“These new orders provide stronger protection for victims of domestic abuse, simplify their access to help and ensure court powers are more stringent than ever before.
“We are delivering change for people across the country and victims of appalling violence across North Wales will now have the protection they deserve.”
Jenny Hopkins, Chief Crown Prosecutor for Cymru-Wales, said: “Domestic Abuse Protection Orders are another vital way for our prosecutors to protect victims of these terrible crimes.
“We can ask the court for an order if someone is convicted, or if they are acquitted, and will be looking to prosecute anybody who breaches that order.”
