Hundreds of children in Portsmouth living with domestic violence could be better protected with new law says NSPCC

The NSPCC is calling on the government to recognise those in Portsmouth and across the country as victims under law and is urging them to publish its Domestic Violence and Abuse White Paper.

Almudena Lara, Head of Policy at the NSPCC, said: ‘It is quite astonishing that the government is dragging its feet when deciding whether to recognise young people as victims when almost a quarter of a million children that we know of are living with domestic abuse in England alone.

‘As well as the day-to-day distress that living with domestic abuse creates, it can cause long-term problems into adulthood that can only be addressed through targeted services.’

Legal recognition as victims of domestic abuse would give children greater explicit protection through domestic abuse protection orders.