Media enquiries
If you are reporting on domestic abuse, please ensure you and your team have read the Women’s Aid media guidelines which equip journalists to report sensitively and accurately on domestic abuse: Media guidelines – Women’s Aid (womensaid.org.uk)
If you are reporting on domestic abuse related deaths, including homicide and suicide, please see the Level Up media guidelines: welevelup.org/active-campaigns/media-guidelines-domestic-abuse/
Victims and survivors
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner is grateful for every piece of correspondence she receives from people subject to domestic abuse. Whilst the Commissioner is legally unable to intervene in individual cases, your story is invaluable in shaping the Commissioner’s priorities. If you would like to, you can share your story and/or your thoughts on what needs to change to improve the response to domestic abuse with the Commissioner. You can do this by writing to [email protected].
Whatever you tell the Domestic Abuse Commissioner or any members of her team, will not be shared with anyone else, except in certain circumstances. The only times we will share what you have told us, are:
- If you give us specific consent to do so, or
- If we believe an adult or child is at imminent risk of significant harm, or
- If a court of law instructs us to, for example if evidence is required for criminal proceedings.
This means on rare occasions, we will not be able to keep your details confidential and we may need to involve statutory agencies, such as the police, children’s social care, or adult social care. Where possible, we will seek to involve you in this process.
Domestic Homicide Reviews
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 requires all Community Safety Partnerships to send final copies of any Domestic Homicide Review to the Domestic Abuse Commissioner. This will be a legal requirement from November 1st and will support us in our work to learn lessons from domestic homicides and suicides across England and Wales, to prevent future deaths. Please send copies of DHRs to [email protected]
Complaints
If you wish to make a complaint in relation to the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, or her office, you can email the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s Office at [email protected] and the matter will be reviewed.
- A complaint about the conduct of a DAC employee will be raised with the Chief of Staff.
- A complaint about the conduct of the Chief of Staff or the Commissioner will be raised with the Home Office Sponsorship Unit, who hold the Domestic Abuse Commissioner to account in fulfilling her role as set out in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
Guidance on how to make a complaint about your experience with a public agency like the police or health services is also available here.