Domestic Abuse Policy

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/26/004233/T

Version Date: 02/03/2026

Dorset police domestic abuse policy.

The Alliance Information Management Department has provided the following information:

Please see the following policy details which have been taken from the Domestic Abuse Investigation Policy & Procedure (DOR-P-040):

‘2.0 Policy Section

2.1 Purpose

The purpose of this policy and procedure is to ensure that by dealing with victims of domestic abuse effectively and by conducting thorough risk assessment processes with victims, that we endeavour to reduce the likelihood of future harm, including homicide, serious injury and acts of abuse by providing guidance to all officers and police staff in the identification of cases and the level of risk they present.

This policy is intended to be read in conjunction with Authorised Professional Practice on Domestic Abuse. This is evidence based best practice researched and written by the College of Policing.

APP - Major Investigation and Public Protection/Domestic Abuse

Dorset Police is committed to protecting the lives of both adult and child victims of domestic abuse, to investigate all reports effectively, to bring offenders to justice and hold them accountable for their actions and to adopt a proactive multi-agency approach in order to prevent and reduce domestic abuse.

The Force area is made up of diverse communities and it is recognised and acknowledged that domestic abuse is a crime that happens in all communities. Dorset Police is committed to developing responses that keep people safe and hold perpetrators to account without stereotyping, stigmatising or making assumptions about any given individual or community and will demonstrate that protecting victims is central to core business of tackling domestic abuse.

2.2 Legal / Regulatory Basis

Whilst domestic abuse is not a specific criminal offence; the term is used to describe a range of incidents occurring in particular circumstances, the most serious resulting in death. The requirement in domestic abuse cases incurs obligations at every stage of the police response.

• Articles 1, 3 and 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR 1998) findings in the case of Osman v UK 1988 and the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 places a positive duty of care on police to protect adult and child victims of domestic abuse.
• PACE (Police and Criminal Evidence Act) 1984
• Criminal Procedure & Investigations Act 1996
• Section 115 Crime and Disorder Act 1998
• The Protection From Harassment Act 1997
• Sexual Offences Act 2003
• Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004
• Crime and Security Act 2010 Sections 24-33
• Serious Crime Act 2015 Section 76
• Data Protection Act 2018
• Domestic Abuse Act 2021
• Online Safety Act 2023

Human Rights Considerations / Articles Engaged

The application of this policy has the potential to engage the following articles under the Human Rights Act 1998:

• Article 2- The right to life
• Article 3 - The right not to suffer torture, inhumane or degrading treatment.
• Article 6- The right to a fair trial
• Article 8 -The right to privacy, family life, home etc
• This policy has been drafted in accordance with the principles of human rights legislation. Consideration has been given to the compatibility of this policy & related procedures with The Human Rights Act 1998.
• Equality Act 2010’