Police record nearly 500 domestic abuse offences

Nearly 500 domestic abuse offences were recorded in seven months, police have said.

Guernsey Police said it was trying to improve the way it tackled domestic abuse, using new legislation introduced in June 2025 to deliver "stronger safeguards" for victims and "firmer consequences" for offenders.

The police force said the new powers allowed it to "step in earlier", protect those at risk, and hold perpetrators to account.

It said domestic abuse was not just physical as coercive control and non-physical abuse were also recognised as crimes.

Det Insp Nicole Thomas from the public protection unit said by recognising all forms of domestic abuse clearly in law, the force could act "more decisively, and put safeguards in place sooner to support victims.

"Domestic abuse can have very-long lasting impacts on survivors, and offenders can often go on to repeat their crimes against different people," she said.

Guernsey Police said 485 domestic abuse offences were recorded, it made 66 arrests, issued 13 domestic abuse protection notices (DAPN), secured 11 domestic abuse protection orders (DAPO) and prosecuted two breaches of DAPOs between June 2025 and 14 January 2026.

A DAPN is a short-term measure to prevent alleged offenders from contacting victims or visiting their homes for up to 72 hours, allowing enough time for a court hearing to take place.

A DAPO is a longer-term protection preventing offenders from contacting victims or visiting their homes along with other prohibitions and/or requirements issued by the courts.

Police said this could restrict contact of up to two years which was "significantly longer" than the 28‑day limit in the UK, giving victims "peace of mind".

Police said the new measures, formed part of the Committee for Home Affairs' wider Domestic Violence Strategy 2022-2025.

The force said it continued to develop the way it tackled domestic abuse, officers continued to undertake specialist training, and many cases were reviewed for lessons learned and possible improvements.

Superintendent Liam Johnson said the legislation had given police the ability to "step in earlier and with far greater impact".

The new powers have brought significant improvements, but we do not want to be complacent and so continue to dedicate resources to improvement and self-evaluation," he said.

It reflects best practice from the UK but goes even further in key areas, allowing us to offer stronger, longer-lasting protection to those who need it most."

He added the force continued to work on its response to domestic abuse to ensure it was as good as it can be.

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