New pledge to recognise patterns of domestic abuse as CPS Mersey-Cheshire secures convictions in 80% of cases

New measures to upskill prosecutors in Merseyside and Cheshire to better recognise patterns of domestic abuse offending have been announced today as part of the Crown Prosecution Service’s rollout of its five-year Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy.

The new strategy, which will reflect the evolving nature and sophistication of crimes involving violence against women and girls, comes into effect from today.

All prosecutors in the region will now work under the national strategy, developed after listening to victims’ experiences, and delivering justice through prosecutions which reflect the full reality of each case of abuse.

It comes as exclusive CPS data shows CPS Mersey-Cheshire is the top performing area in England and Wales for securing convictions in cases flagged as domestic abuse – with more than four in five cases (80.1%) resulting in a conviction.

Additionally, the number of charges for three linked offences involving VAWG; intentional strangulation, stalking and controlling or coercive behaviour, have all risen in CPS Mersey-Cheshire in recent years.

Sarah Hammond, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Mersey-Cheshire said: “Today’s data shows our prosecutors have already made good progress in recognising the patterns of domestic abuse offences but we can’t afford to be complacent.

“That’s why our refreshed VAWG strategy adds more training, learnings from our own casework and the experiences of those affected by these crimes, all while adding more tailored support for victims.

“We are determined to drive ahead and create more positive change in the criminal justice system and ensure we support the national aim of halving violence against women and girls within a decade.

“We’re proud of the fact we secure convictions in 80 per cent of all domestic abuse cases in Mersey-Cheshire, but know there is always more to be done in terms of delivering for victims.”

In August 2025, prosecutors delivered justice for a victim of domestic abuse after securing guilty pleas from an abuser who strangled and coercively controlled his partner.

The offender grabbed his partner by the throat while she was feeding her newborn child. A separate incident saw him punch and strangle her again – causing her to struggle to breathe.

Previously, in October 2024, he tried to insist his partner terminate her pregnancy, but became increasingly aggressive towards her after she refused.

The offender was convicted of three counts of intentional strangulation, two counts of ABH and prosecutors argued his controlling and coercive behaviour throughout their relationship should be a factor in sentencing.

He was jailed for four years in September 2025.

National data, released by the CPS today, highlights the overlapping offences of domestic abuse and rape, and reveals that domestic abuse relates to nearly 7 in 10 instances of harassment, over 8 in 10 instances of revenge porn and stalking, and 9 in 10 instances of strangulation and ‘honour’-based abuse.

Rape also continues to be a strong focus. Work is continuing to make sure lessons are learned from successful case work and better data collection with a Rape and serious sexual Offences Casework Strategy learning programme.

Prosecution guidance and training will be updated to reflect the complexity of cases where rape is a part of a broader pattern of abuse, such as coercive control, stalking, or honour-based violence.

This is a key contributor to the government’s mission to halving Violence Against Women and Girls within a decade.