Male abuse victims will not have refuge in Guernsey

Guernsey men who experience domestic abuse will not have access to a refuge, like that provided in Jersey.

Fiona Richmond, the domestic abuse strategy coordinator, said a shelter such as Jersey's Sanctuary House would not be statistically sustainable.

She said: "We have about 122 high-risk female victims coming forward each year, whereas there are only about 10 high-risk male victims coming forward."

"We have to put our resources where they are most needed," she said.

Sanctuary House opened in May 2011 and the Guernsey Women's Refuge has been running since 1998.

Ms Richmond estimated that about a quarter of all domestic abuse was suffered by men but questioned whether that meant a quarter of abuse victims needing a refuge were male.

"Male victims are less likely to be high-risk than female victims," she said.