The Ministry of Defence has published a new action plan for tackling domestic abuse in the armed forces. Entitled No Defence for Abuse: an Action Plan to Tackle Domestic Abuse in the Defence Community, it presents a five-year strategy to improve support for victims of domestic abuse by armed services personnel and to upskill senior staff in the issues involved.
The action plan acknowledges the particular challenges that are faced in an Armed Forces context, relating not only to the military personnel themselves but also to their families and intimate partners. It also recognises the need for partnership working with civilian agencies in order to manage risks going forward.
The action plan notes that stalking features in 20% of domestic abuse cases, and that it also affects ex-intimate partners, as in Alice’s case. The Alice Ruggles Trust will be involved in the relevant training workshops along with other charities such as Aurora New Dawn, who recently launched a support service for people experiencing domestic abuse, sexual violence or stalking in the Royal Navy.
