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A PIONEERING project from Hampshire Constabulary has been shown to slash domestic abuse reoffending rates by 41 per cent, new research has shown.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham have been evaluating Hampshire Constabulary’s Project CARA (Cautioning and Relationship Abuse), which uses workshops and victim testimony to stop first time domestic abuse offenders from reoffending.

More than 500 offenders were tracked by researchers over 2020 following their referral to the CARA programme in order to assess the level of reoffending rates over the proceeding 12 month period.

Portsmouth police see rise in domestic abuse cases as they increase focus on vio...

Domestic abuse reoffending rates were cut by the pioneering project from Hampshire Constabulary.

Offences were found to have been reduced by 39 per cent in the first six months where there had been CARA intervention, and by 41 per cent overall in the first 12 months.

Earlier this month, the police district commander for Portsmouth said there had been a small increase in domestic abuse reports this year.

It comes as Hampshire Constabulary and forces across the country ramp up resources to tackle violence against women and girls.

Inspector Debbie Ashthorpe, who led the CARA project for a number of years, said: ‘We really are proud to have been involved in the original trial of the CARA project back in 2013 and to see now with this research that the initiative is still proving vital for people who experience domestic abuse.

‘On each case, we work closely with victims and survivors in each case to make sure that CARA is the right option for them. This most recent research proves that CARA continues to be effective and we welcome the findings of the report from the University of Birmingham.’

Hampshire police slash domestic abuse reoffending by 41 per cent with pioneering project