Diana Johnson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2014-04-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of an offence contrary to section 5 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 in each of the last four years.

Damian Green

Section 5 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 was enacted to deal with the situation where it was clear that one of a number of members of a household was responsible for the death of a child or vulnerable adult in that household but it could not be proved which one.

This Government is committed to protecting the rights of children and vulnerable adults. Since 2010 those who commit a serious offence are more likely to go to prison and go for longer. The average custodial sentence length for indictable offences is now the highest in more than a decade.

The number of offenders found guilty at all courts for offences under section 5 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 as it applies to causing or allowing death, in England and Wales, from 2009 to 2012 (latest data available) can be viewed in the table.

The number of people convicted in a year, does not reflect the number of cases going through the system, as this could be carried on from previous years.

The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims (Amendment) Act 2012 amended section 5 of the 2004 Act to extend it to causing or allowing serious physical harm to a child or vulnerable adult.

Court proceedings data for 2013 are planned for publication inMay 2014.