FOI 0001.2025-26 Domestic Abuse Incidents
Request
Please provide this data for each year 2015 - 2025 – latest available data.
Q1) For the previous 10 calendar years, please provide the total number of recorded crimes which have been flagged as domestic-abuse related incidents (ie. have met the cross-government definition of domestic violence and abuse) reported by young people, broken down by the following age groups:
1) Under 18
2) 18-24
3) 25-30
NB: the cross-government definition of Domestic violence and abuse: "any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to: psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional."
Q2) Of the reports cited in answer to Q1, please provide the number of cases that resulted in:
1) An arrest
2) A charge
3) A prosecution
4) A conviction
Q3) For the previous 10 calendar years, please provide the total number of coercive or controlling behaviour offences reported by young people, also broken down by the following age groups. Please search for this data using the terms ‘coercive control’ and crimes alleged under Home Office code 008/67.
1) Under 18
2) 18-24
3) 25-30
Q4) Of the coercive and controlling behaviour reports cited in answer to Q3, please provide the number of cases that resulted in:
1) An arrest
2) A charge
3) A prosecution
4) A conviction
Q5) If available, please provide a breakdown of the most common reasons why domestic abuse and coercive control cases did not proceed to charge (e.g., lack of evidence, victim withdrawal).
Q6) Finally can you please attach MO codes for the calendar year 2024 for domestic abuse-related offences involving alleged victims under 30? I accept redactions may need to be made to remove personal information.
Extent of Searches to Locate Information
Following receipt of your request searches were conducted within North Yorkshire Police to locate relevant information.
Decision
I am not obliged to provide you with a response to your request pursuant to Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act). Please note that when one part of your request falls under Section 12, we are not obliged to review the rest of the questions and the whole request is therefore exempt.
Section 12(1) applies to your request as the cost of complying with your request is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of identifying and retrieving any relevant information exceeds the ‘appropriate level’ as stated in the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.
Due to the nature of our recording systems the information requested, if held, is not in an easily retrievable format. Our information retrieval process generally relies on a computer ran report which captures any information recorded upon the surface of a record or within specified fields. Where relevant information is held deeper in the record, or outside of a specified field, a manual assessment is required to retrieve that information.
In order to provide the number of successful prosecutions and convictions, it would be necessary to manually review thousands of records, which would exceed the time limit allowed under the Act.
Pursuant to Section 17(5) of the Freedom of Information Act this letter acts as a Refusal Notice.
Pursuant to Section 16 of the Act I am required to offer you advice and assistance with regarding to refining your request to within the ‘appropriate limit’ (time/cost limit). I am able to provide you with the number of relevant crimes with charged/summonsed outcomes only if you wish to revise and resubmit your request accordingly. If you wish to discuss this please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please note that systems used for recording information are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the data. It should be noted therefore that this force’s response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other responses you may receive.