Extent of Sheffield domestic abuse cases revealed in new report

The report suggests the demand for domestic and sexual abuse support in Sheffield will "continue to rise"

More than 26,000 children experienced domestic abuse in Sheffield last year, according to a new report.

Meanwhile, nearly 24,000 adults were affected by domestic abuse and 10,000 people were sexually assaulted in 2022, Sheffield City Council figures showed.

The statistics were contained in the first annual report examining how the issue was being dealt with in the city.

But the report concluded that "overall, Sheffield should be proud of how it responded to domestic abuse".

The figures in the first annual report of work on addressing domestic and sexual abuse and violence against women and girls were compiled using data from Sheffield Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference and the charity Women's Aid.

'Demand will rise'

Members of Sheffield City Council's strategy and resources policy committee also heard that a total of 364 adults and 574 children were supported in safe accommodation, including refuges, in the city.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the report said most service users were women and many were disabled, "indicating a clear link between experience of abuse and impact on health".

Black people and members of other groups, such as LGBT people, were also heavily affected, making up to 57% of users in women's refuges, the committee heard.

While the report said that Sheffield had some "high quality services offering invaluable support to victims and survivors in the city", it acknowledged there were some areas where there were pressures.

It was "likely the demand for domestic and sexual abuse support will continue to rise", it added.