Police probe "hundreds" of control crimes
Home Office figures show the force received 345 reports of controlling and coercive behaviour in the year to March – up from 322 in 2020-21, the first year such crimes were recorded.
Coercive control - punishable by up to five years imprisonment – has been a criminal offence since 2015.
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Hide AdAbusers can be punished for subjecting a partner or family member to controlling behaviour such as isolating them, exploiting them financially, depriving them of basic needs, humiliating, frightening or threatening them.
Different figures suggest victims are becoming less likely to get their day in court, with just 3.9% of cases closed in 2021-22 ending in a charge or summons – down from 4.1%.
The data shows that, in Cleveland, 303 coercive control cases were closed last year – with 91.7% abandoned due to difficulties gathering evidence and just five per cent resulting in a suspect being charged or summonsed to court.
This is compared to 91.1% abandoned and six per cent charged in 2020-21.
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Hide AdIn England and Wales, 41,300 offences of controlling and coercive behaviour were recorded in 2021-22 – up more than a third from 30,800 the year before.
Jeffrey DeMarco, assistant director at the charity Victim Support, said the rise in offences could be more people reporting abuse to the police, but it is "concerning" that the number of charges for these crimes are also dropping.
He added: “It is so important that we recognise emotional abuse for what it is and call it out when we see it.