Teenage girls at risk from 'generation of wife beaters'

[Spiraling Leopard]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23940746-teenage-girls-at-risk-from-generation-of-wife-beaters.do

Britain is facing the threat of a "new generation" of wife beaters amid a surge in domestic violence by teenagers, Britain's top prosecutor warned today.

Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said that women aged 16 to 19 were now more at risk of domestic abuse than any other age group and that "exploitation and violence" against teenagers was far more common than previously thought.

In a speech in London, he said: "We are clearly at risk of a whole new generation of domestic violence. As a prosecutor it concerns me greatly and if we aren't alert to this, and don't wake up to it, it will be a continuing problem. We need to tackle complacency and redouble our efforts."

Mr Starmer said that it was "for others" to say whether the recent increase in domestic abuse among teenagers was the result of the violent content and negative depictions of young women in some music videos and films, or whether it was linked to witnessing violence by parents.

He said research had shown, however, that women aged between 16 and 19 were at the highest risk of sex assault, stalking and domestic abuse and that those aged between 20 and 24 were only slightly less at risk.

Separate research by the NSPCC has shown that 13- to 15-year-olds were equally at risk of violence.

Nearly one million women suffer domestic abuse each year, with two killed every week by current or ex-partners, statistics show. More than half of all serious sexual assaults are perpetrated by partners or ex-partners.