Domestic Violence Chester & Vale Royal

I am a PhD student with the University of Chester researching attrition rates in domestic violence cases. I am particularly interested in Chester City and Vale Royal Borough Council as two wards in the Cheshire area.

Please could you advise whom I need to contact to obtain data on reporting incidences and retracting statements once a complaint has formally entered into the legal system.

My research aims to cover a thirty year period - 1979 to 2009 in order a comparison can be made between the Conservative and New Labour administration.

In accordance with section 1 (1) (b) of the Act our response is provided below;

Domestic Violence is not an offence category. Offences likely are all violent offences and there are many, that occur in a domestic situation, it is only from 2007 that crimes have been given an additional marker of domestic related to make more easily retrievable. Although we can report on the number of domestic related crimes of violence since 2007 it would take a manual search of each record and there will be many, to attempt to obtain the information you are requesting. This it is estimated would exceed the appropriate limit. The appropriate limit is defined in the Data Protection and Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004, which is covered by statutory Instrument Number 3244 of 2004. Furthermore, Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 allows a public authority to refuse to respond to a request for information where the cost of compliance would exceed the appropriate limit as defined by the above mentioned regulations.