EXCLUSIVE: More than 15,000 offences against females reported in Northampton over past year, despite decrease

15,326. That’s the number of reported violence against women and girls (VAWG) offences in Northampton from August 2022 to 2023, as revealed by an FOI request submitted to Northants Police by the Chronicle & Echo.

It is a figure that left a victim of an attack speechless – who is one of the thousands of women having to learn to take that control and power back, mentally and physically.

The FOI data revealed the number of yearly VAWG offences going back to 2019, dating from August 22nd to August 21st the following year during each period. Each victim was aged 10 or older.

From August 22, 2019 to August 21, 2020, the number of VAWG offences reported to Northants Police was 14,864 – the lowest of the four years.

During the same time period from 2020 to 2021, the number saw its peak of 17,094.

August 2021 to 2022 dipped to 16,778, and the most recent 2022 to 2023 decreased to 15,326.

That includes all domestic violence and abuse, forced marriage and female genital mutilation, homicide, sexual offences, violence with injury, and non-domestic offences – spanning across the exploitation of prostitution, stalking, harassment, modern slavery, and public fear, alarm and distress.

The data obtained by this newspaper also revealed the gender of the offenders, when known to Northants Police. Across the four years, offenders were most commonly male.

In cases where the offender’s gender was known, they were male in 80.3 percent of VAWG offences between August 2021 and 2022.

That was the lowest the percentage reached, with a peak of 83.9 percent of offenders being male in August 2019 to 2020.

The data on the age of perpetrators has been split into categories by this newspaper, varying from 10 and under to 71 and above.

As highlighted by the infographic, perpetrators over the past four years have most typically been aged between 26 and 35, and 36 and 50.

Despite a drop of around 1,700 reported offences over the past three years, what does this alarming number tell us about violence against women and girls across Northampton?

‘I do find myself replaying the attack. It’s a trauma my brain revisits’

Jessica Lopes, a 44-year-old mother from Northampton, was the victim of a single-punch attack in front of two of her daughters at a park in broad daylight.

Her daughters, aged four and eight, were left “distraught and hysterical” as they watched their mother fall to the ground after being punched in the face by a stranger.

The male offender sped past Jessica and her two daughters on his bike at Abington Park, at around 2pm on August 16, 2023.

Jessica suffered injuries to her face and wrist, and the attack has had a profound impact on her young and impressionable daughters.

A month on, talking to this newspaper for a second time, Jessica said: “It’s still unbelievable that it happened. It’s surreal that someone could actually do that, especially in front of my children.”

Her four-year-old daughter still talks about it regularly, and her eight-year-old has been referred for counselling in an attempt to get her to open up.

“I’m more weary now,” said Jessica, when asked how she would sum up the impact the attack has had on her life.

“I do find myself replaying it in my mind when I’m not thinking about anything else. I see the person and the way they held their fist up.

“You can’t help that, it’s a trauma my brain revisits. I have to keep reminding myself it’s not going to happen again.

“I try to put up a barrier and make myself strong by not thinking about it. That’s my coping mechanism.”

Jessica was told the yearly number of reported VAWG offences since August 2019 has not dipped below 14,864 and peaked at 17,094.

“Wow,” she replied, speechless for a moment. “It’s quite shocking, it makes me feel angry and upset.”

Jessica was not surprised to learn the majority of perpetrators over the past four years have been male, but was taken aback that the most common age of offenders is between 26 and 35, and 36 and 50.

The attack victim believes combatting VAWG stems from morals. “It needs to start at home and from a young age,” said Jessica.

‘Hopefully what we’re doing is stopping the breeding of the perpetrators of tomorrow’

Tackling VAWG is at the forefront of the role as Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner – so an important part of this data investigation was talking to Stephen Mold about what has been done during his years of service in Northamptonshire.

The Safer Streets Programme invested £800,000 in improving the safety of women in the nighttime economy in 2021/22, and a split of £1.7 million the following year on more advanced technologies and training to build on what had already been done.

Earlier this year, more than 1,000 young males at Northampton College received bespoke training on the dangers of VAWG. This was made possible by Stephen’s £20,000 investment.

The aim was to start conversations about negative attitudes and behaviour towards women, and empower men to actively challenge derogatory and inappropriate behaviour.

Talking to the Chronicle & Echo, Stephen began by emphasising that in addition to being the PFCC he is the victims commissioner.

He created an organisation called Voice, describing it as a “gateway to specialist support” and a way to advocate for all victims – particularly women and girls.

Stephen was told that FOI data showed the number of reported VAWG offences dropped by around 1,700 over the past three years.

Do you think the level of offences has decreased enough over that time, given the level of funding and commitment invested in tackling the issue, he was asked.

Stephen said: “Quite frankly, I won’t be happy until we get that number down to zero. We probably never will but that should be our ambition so we keep at it.”

The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner shared that his case workers have intervened with more than 2,000 families so far this year, where children were present in domestic violence settings.

Describing it as a “moral obligation” to intervene, Stephen said: “If kids don’t grow up in a household where domestic violence happens, they’re less likely to be offenders and do it themselves.”

Having discussed the training more than 1,000 young males have received this year, which Stephen expressed will continue, I was intrigued to present the FOI data on age to him – with perpetrators most commonly between 26 and 50 years old.

What is being done, or what do you plan to do, to tackle the pre-established attitudes that older individuals have of VAWG, he was asked.

Though Stephen acknowledged the importance of early education, he emphasised the role of increased patrols, undercover police, ID technology at late night establishments, and encouraging the calling out of inappropriate behaviours in tackling perpetrators of all ages.

“There’s no one thing that makes that key difference, it’s the collection of all of them,” he said.

Stephen shared that around £1.25 million is spent each year on supporting victims of VAWG, and 20 to 25 percent of Northants Police’s demand is related to domestic abuse.

He said: “By us really focusing on it, women can go about their lives as they want to. But, also, that then has an impact on their kids. You’re less likely to see the kids seeing bad behaviour.

“Hopefully what we’re doing is stopping the breeding of the perpetrators of tomorrow – that’s really what I want to make sure we stop.”

When asked what message he wanted to send directly to the females reading this investigation, Stephen said: “My commitment is second to none. This is never going to stop for me unless we can get it to zero.”

‘We need to be doing more about working with perpetrators of domestic abuse’

Eve is one of the vital grassroots organisations, fighting to make the county safer for women and girls.

The domestic abuse service provider, which offers refuge and support, was established more than 40 years ago.

Christine Morgan, CEO of Eve, shared that more than 13,000 women and families have been helped by the charity over the past four decades – as well as the fact they offer a behaviour change programme for those displaying abuse and coercive behaviour.

When told the number of reported VAWG offences that still remain, as revealed by the FOI request, Christine did not believe the number had dropped enough over the past three years.

“We need to be doing more about working with perpetrators of domestic abuse,” she said.

Giving her thoughts on Stephen Mold’s investment in training young males, Christine said: “Absolutely we need to do that and more of it.

“But it’s the grassroots charities that are working in the community that need to be supporting that training and helping to deliver it.”

Christine believes “more needs to be done across the board”, particularly with young people entering romantic relationships who “get ideas from older family and friends”.

When asked what more needs to be done by the authorities to continue tackling VAWG, Christine said: “The perpetrator programme we run is not funded by the county, it’s funded totally by ourselves.

“We can’t continue to do that, we absolutely need investment by the county.”