A debate in the House of Lords yesterday looking at ways to address the many different types of domestic violence, raises some very thought provoking points, and is worth a read if you have a few Digestives and some tea bags.

The motion for the debate, moved by Baroness Manzoor was as follows:

“That this House takes note of Her Majesty’s Government’s plans to protect and support victims of domestic violence and abuse.”

The discussion gives you some insight into the vast amount of work Baroness Manzoor and other peers do to try and tackle domestic violence and abuse, the different faces of abuse (there is a very interesting section about abuse of the elderly, which is often ignored), and offers details about the Government’s proposals in relation to the important domestic violence and abuse Bill.

There are some surprises, too. We discover during the course of the discussion that Baroness Newlove is herself a victim of abuse, and she makes a very personal, and insightful statement.

The debate doesn’t just look at abuse of women, it also focuses on men who have experienced abuse too. Sadly though, only one male peer showed up for the session, Viscount Goschen. He mentions a report he recommends called “Getting it Right First Time”, produced by the charity SafeLives in 2015.

For stats and data buffs, there’s plenty to mull over, and there’s also some considerable thought on the justice system and how it’s lagging behind in this area.

From coercive control, to sentencing measures for abuse, this is one of the most robust, sensitive and well rounded exchanges we have seen on this topic for a while. Do have a read, you’ll be glad you did.