More than a dozen men have been arrested on suspicion of domestic abuse offences in a “large-scale” police operation in east London, Scotland Yard said.
The 14 suspects, all males in their 20s and 30s, were detained as part of the Metropolitan Police’s Operation Athena crackdown on violence within the home.
Suspected offences included, causing grievous bodily harm (GBH), harassment, coercive and controlling behaviour, and common assault. The men have been taken into custody at east London police stations.
Detective Inspector Sean Lyons, of the Central East Command Unit, said the operation had been successful and that the suspects “cannot pose a further threat to their victims.”
Lyons added: “I hope today’s operation sends out a message to domestic abusers that they cannot act with impunity, and we will work to ensure they are held to account in a court of law where appropriate.”
On average the police in England and Wales receive over 100 calls relating to domestic abuse every hour, according to figures from the Women’s Aid charity, with an average of two women killed by their partner or ex-partner every week.
Chief Superintendent Sue Williams, the Met’s lead on Domestic Abuse, said: “This large-scale targeted operation being led by frontline officers is a fantastic example of our robust approach to domestic violence offending, and of the work we are doing all year round to improve our response to these types of crimes.
“We dedicate significant resources to tackling this issue as has been demonstrated today, and I hope that victims take confidence from operations like this; we can and will act on information, and we have processes in place to protect you from further harm.
“Operation Athena is our long-term approach to bringing more domestic abuse suspects to justice, and we continue to work to strengthen our collaborative work with partner agencies to ensure that we identify perpetrators and achieve the best possible outcomes for victims.”
It comes as the Court of Appeal heard the landmark case of Georgina Challen, known as Sally, who killed her husband amid claims he subjected her to after 40 years of control and humiliation.
Domestic abuse helplines
- Refuge- Domestic violence help for women and children - 0808 2000 247
- Visit Women’s Aid- support for abused women and children – or call the National Domestic Violence Helpline, run by Women’s Aid and Refuge, on 0808 2000 247
- Broken Rainbow- The LGBT domestic violence charity - 0845 2 60 55 60
- Men’s Advice Linefor advice and support for men experiencing domestic violence and abuse - 0808 801 0327