New pledge to recognise patterns of domestic abuse as charges in CPS Wessex continue to increase

New measures to upskill prosecutors in the Wessex to better recognise patterns of domestic abuse and its impact on victims 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 the number of charges for three linked offences involving VAWG; intentional strangulation, stalking, and controlling or coercive behaviour, is continuing to rise in CPS Wessex, and more than three quarters of cases (79.2%) flagged as domestic abuse in CPS Wessex result in a conviction as of June 2025.

In October 2025, prosecutors in CPS Wessex secured justice after a serial abuser who tried to kill a woman by violently stamping on her face was sentenced to 19 years imprisonment.

Benjamin Coates, 42, of Waterlooville, forced his victim to endure physical, sexual and emotional abuse over a period of eight months, and would control her actions and force her to comply by threatening her family.

Prosecutors pieced together all of the available evidence from multiple instances of Coates’ abuse, including allegations of rape, strangulation, controlling or coercive behaviour and the violent attacks on her.

Coates was successfully prosecuted for attempted murder, multiple counts of rape, one count of intentional strangulation, controlling or coercive behaviour and other offences after the prosecution team was able to prove the totality of his offending against his victim.

Louise Holmes, Senior District Crown Prosecutor and Domestic Abuse lead for CPS Wessex 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 new strategy will see a renewed focus on training, trauma-informed approaches and more tailored support for victims – to drive more positive change 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 more than three quarters of all domestic abuse-flagged cases in the Wessex, but know there is always more to be done in terms of delivering for victims.”

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.

Set out by Stephen Parkinson, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the CPS’s new VAWG strategy targets every aspect including how cases are built, taken to court, and scrutinised.

The CPS VAWG Strategy 2025-2030 commits to improving case handling and support through enhanced guidance and training for prosecutors, as well as reinforcing the use of victim-informed approaches to deliver more effective outcomes for all victims of domestic abuse.

Prosecutors will put new learnings about the crossover of these crimes into practice – including recognising how offences involving VAWG are increasingly complex and sophisticated.

This will be achieved by embedding academic findings into cases, undertaking further training and scrutinising cases with the help of VAWG stakeholders to understand how they present in real situations.