MULTI-agency measures to tackle domestic abuse in the Borders appear to be bearing fruit, despite an increase in reported offences in the six months from April 1.

Over that time, 436 incidents were reported to the police – up from 418 in the corresponding period last year.

The profile of gender-based violence in this region is about to be raised when the fourth annual Reclaim the Night march, organised by the local Violence Against Women Partnership, takes place in Hawick this Friday.

The march starts at 6.30pm from Sainsbury’s car park in Commercial Road and ends at Tower Mill where entertainment and refreshments will be provided.

The increase in incidents was conveyed to last week’s meeting of the Police, Fire Service & Safer Communities Board by Chief Inspector John Scott.

He believed the rise reflected a “level of confidence” by victims in the police who now carried out initial checks and a risk assessment of each incident within 24 hours of it being reported.

In the last six months, police had only failed to achieve this twice, when the victims refused to be contacted, although officers ensured on both occasions that the alleged perpetrators were not in the family home.

“Because of the increased focus on domestic abuse by the police, it is likely more cases are being correctly identified rather than there being a rise in actual incidents,” said CI Scott.

He said that over the six months, the number of women in the Borders calling the national domestic abuse helpline fell from 107 to 71.

The number of children placed on the Child Protection Register as a result of domestic abuse fell from 10 to six compared to last year and the number of victims presenting themselves as homeless to escape violence was down from 93 to 47.

“This suggests that local intervention work and advocacy support is having a positive impact in allowing victims to stay in their own homes,” said CI Scott.

He did, however, admit that the Domestic Abuse Advocacy Service (DAAS), a three year project based within the Safer Communities Team at Newtown, had experienced staffing shortages, due to illness, maternity leave and failure to appoint a manager.

This situation, now resolved, meant the service had not been adequately promoted to victims of only 10% of whom – down from 17% last year - had referred themselves directly to the seven-day-a-week service which is funded by Scottish Borders Council and is set up support victims and families in the immediate aftermath of an incident.

CS Scott’s report ended on a positive note with a survey of victims and families exiting the specialist support services available in the Borders revealing that 82% felt their safety had “much improved” and 100% acknowledging some improvement.