LONDON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- With more than 400 cases of domestic abuse reported every day in the British capital, the elected London Assembly has welcomed a call by a government committee of MPs for a national register of serial domestic violence perpetrators.
The assembly wants to see a system could work in the same way as the sex offenders' register, allowing police to hold information on perpetrators in order to better protect survivors.
Len Duvall, spokesperson for the London Assembly Domestic Abusers Register campaign, said: "The number of cases of domestic violence in London and around the country which have ended in murder is staggering. A register would help to minimise violence and loss of life in the future."
Duvall said with the support of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the assembly wants a register to manage serial abusers.
"This would also put the emphasis back on the criminal rather than the survivors of these crimes," said Duvall.
He added that the London Assembly welcomes the recommendation by the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee to introduce a national register of serial domestic violence perpetrators.
"The assembly has been in discussions with the government and relevant agencies in relation to the assembly campaign for a Domestic Abusers Register," added Duvall.
"There are some good proposals in this report, including a new commissioner to cover both domestic abuse and violence against women and girls, as well as the introduction of paid domestic violence leave for victims of abuse."
Duvall said the fact that the Home Affairs Select Committee and all parties on the London Assembly support the call for a domestic abusers register is evidence of the urgency for legislation.
A spokesperson for the London Assembly said in 2016, there were almost 150,000 incidents of domestic abuse in London alone. Four in ten survivors of domestic abuse are repeat victims. It works out at an average 410 incidents every day of the year.
