Tougher Domestic Abuse Sentences Needed

28 July 2014, 17:19 | Updated: 28 July 2014, 17:28

Welsh Women's Aid says punishments for domestic abuse don't go far enough.

It's after claims many offenders are getting community resolutions - with no criminal record.

They allow offenders to avoid a criminal record - if they apologise to - or compensate - a victim.

Labour has described their use as a 'slap on the wrist'.

The party also claims the number of people getting one for domestic abuse has more than doubled in four years.

Tina Reece is a Policy Officer for Welsh Women's Aid.

She said they aren't appropriate for domestic abuse offences: "It's generally for lower level crimes and we know that domestic abuse, even if it starts out as quite a small incident, it's a pattern of incidents that raises up and can accelerate to quite a violent ending - two women a week are killed in the UK.

"There are definately things that haven't been the best in terms of police responses in the past, in terms of not taking domestic abuse seriously enough, the police may think of 'domestics' something less important, not to be taken quite as seriously as other crimes."

If you need help and support you can call the All Wales Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence helpline on 0808 80 10 800.