The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in England and Wales will automatically treat children affected by domestic abuse as victims regardless of whether they were present during abusive incidents.
The change follows section 3 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 coming into force last January and updated legal guidance by the CPS, following public consultation.
The new guidelines include prosecutors being asked to consider the impact domestic abuse has on young people when making a charging decision, as well as working with Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) and others to support victims.
