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UK News

Priest says 'sorry is not enough' for domestic abuse victims

Figures it's collected from 15 police forces show they were handed out more than 3,000 times last year, which is more than double the figure in 2009.

Community resolutions are a form of restorative justice and allow offenders to avoid a criminal record if they apologise to or compensate a victim.

The shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has accused the government of failing victims, describing the punishment as a 'wrist slap'.

The Association of Chief Police Officers says they're only used in a small percentage of cases and with the full consent of the victim.

With over a million domestic abuse incidents listed by police in the UK every year, the numbers which are solved through a community resolution makes up less than 1%.

Revd Eleanor Hancock, from the Carlisle Deanery in Cumbria, used to be in an abusive relationship and now runs support programmes in her church.

She told Premier's Newshour just saying 'sorry' is not enough:

"I've looked a lot at the whole issue of forgiveness with regard to any form of abuse and it's about what the forgiveness is for, and how it's brought about.

"I spent years being abused and I forgave easily and quickly time and time again, until I got to the stage where I was absolutely worn down, worn out and I couldn't take it any longer.

"It's all very well to talk about forgiveness for the sake of 'Oh, you're a Christian, you need to forgive', but forgiveness is actually much more than just someone saying sorry and I won't do it again;

"It's about repentance... The perpetrator has to recognise they're doing something wrong and then do something about it."

She adds that her main concern is that victims could easily be pressured into accepting a 'community resolution', instead of prosecuting a violent partner:

 
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