Response service improves domestic abuse survivors outcomes - University of Birmingham
Evaluation of WEPROTECT finds technology-enabled service provides multiple benefits for police and victim-survivors of domestic abuse. A major Home Office-funded project has found that WEPROTECT, a technology-enabled remote Protective Order support service for domestic abuse (DA) survivors, provides significant benefits for police and victim-survivors.
The study evaluated the rollout of the WEPROTECT service by police forces across parts of Sussex, Greater Manchester, and the West Midlands from October 2022 to March 2025. The independent evaluation involved analysis of over 3,300 DA cases and more than 220 interviews with police officers, victim-survivors, solicitors and staff.
The evaluation was led by researchers at the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Crime, Justice and Policing. It was supported by researchers from Brunel University of London, the University of Nottingham, and We: Are (a survivor-led organisation that educates and empowers women).
WEPROTECT, developed by the Domestic Abuse Alliance , offers a pathway to free remote legal assistance, including helping survivors prepare applications for civil protection orders and legal aid assessment, alongside legal representation from an independent national solicitor network.
Our findings show that when implemented with strong police engagement and clear local partnerships, WEPROTECT can significantly improve reporting rates, reduce revictimisation and empower survivors to pursue legal protection.
WEPROTECT, developed by the Domestic Abuse Alliance , offers a pathway to free remote legal assistance, including helping survivors prepare applications for civil protection orders and legal aid assessment, alongside legal representation from an independent national solicitor network.
The evaluation found that use of the app has several significant benefits, including: Professor Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, Director of the Centre for Crime, Justice and Policing, University of Birmingham, said: “This is the most rigorous evaluation to date of a remote legal intervention for domestic abuse survivors.
Our findings show that when implemented with strong police engagement and clear local partnerships, WEPROTECT can significantly improve reporting rates, reduce revictimisation and empower survivors to pursue legal protection.
While there is more work to do to ensure equitable support for all survivors, WEPROTECT has proven to be a vital early intervention tool.” Domestic abuse is a devastating crime, but no government can tackle this issue alone. That’s why we welcome forces doing things differently—finding practical ways to support victims and get them protection faster.
But this mission continues. Sussex Police trialled the WEPROTECT service across the Eastern side of the force, with the Western side of Sussex acting as a control site. After considering the evaluation results it is now rolling WEPROTECT out across the entire police force.
The study found a reduction of up to 30% in reported revictimisation at six months for survivors referred to WEPROTECT in Sussex, where the intervention was piloted, compared to a comparable group where the pilot did not run. Of all the evaluation sites, the Sussex pilot ran for the longest period, and the data was the most detailed, allowing for robust statistical methods to match the treatment and comparison groups.
The associated estimated economic benefit of using WEPROTECT was between £2.2m - £4.1m in cost savings from reduced revictimisation. Detective Superintendent Ben Newman, Sussex Police, said: “WEPROTECT has transformed how quickly we can connect survivors to meaningful legal support.
Our officers found the referral process simple and fast - and survivors repeatedly said they felt reassured by the rapid follow-up from the WEPROTECT team. “Since the initial evaluation period, we have begun a force-wide implementation of WEPROTECT to ensure every attending officer has immediate access to this safeguarding pathway.
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