Ahead of the Euros 2024 Final, charities and NGOs across the United Kingdom had started to sound the alarm over a rise in domestic abuse cases, especially during football season.
With England losing the Euros final to Spain, organisations remain fearful of a spike in domestic violence and abuse.
Number 38
As per a study conducted in 2014 by Lancaster Universty, domestic violence and abuse cases when the England team lost its matches increased by a whopping 38 percent.
Along with this 38 percent rise, the study revealed there was a 26 percent rise in cases of domestic abuse and violence when England won football matches or ended them with a draw. Irrespective of the outcome, domestic abuse complaints increase in 24 hours after a game.
Since then, women's organisations in the UK have issued several campaigns during football season regarding the "Number 38".
During the 2020 Euros, support services reported an increase by 79 percent in in calls and referrals regarding instances of domestic abuse and violence.
As per data from the Office of National Statistics’ Crime Survey, around 2.1 million people in England and Wales have experienced domestic abuse by March 2023.
Despite the a 50 percent spike in such cases, prosecutions have reduced by 42 percent.
Support Groups, UK Police Issue Hotlines
Following England's loss in the Euros Final, domestic abuse and violence hotlines were issued with a sense of urgency. Organisations such as Women's Aid, Solace and the National Centre For Domestic Violence ran long campaigns raising awareness on the issues.
"While football doesn’t cause domestic abuse, it can make existing abuse more frequent and severe," reads a notice issued by Women's Aid ahead of the final match.
Ahead of the Euros Final, warnings were also issued by the UK Police to create awareness of the matter. Police officials added that excessive drinking during the tournaments could also lead to a rise in domestic abuse as well as harassment due to "laddish behaviour".
'No More Injury Time' - a nationwide campaign by Solace and the NCDV was also launched to raise awareness of the rise in domestic abuse and to encourage victims to seek help.
Those subject to domestic abuse can contact Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or the NCDV on 0800 970 2070.
