MARAC (multi-agency risk assessment conferencing) identifies very high risk victims of domestic abuse and aims to reduce the risk of further victimisation:
- Appropriate sharing of information across agencies
- Producing multi-agency safety plans to reduce the risk to victims and any children
- Sharing an awareness of risk posed by the perpetrator to the victim or third party
Domestic abuse is a complex crime, where the victim is either currently or was previously, in an intimate relationship with the perpetrator. There are very high incidences of repeat victimisation.
Police record not only very high numbers of repeat domestic abuse incidents in terms of the same victim, but also the same perpetrator. An individual incident may not in itself seem terribly serious, but taken in the context of the range of abuse, control tactics used and likelihood of escalation can give rise for serious concern. Every year the police in Fife deal with cases of very serious domestic assault, rape, attempted murder and/or murder.
In Fife in 2017/2018 there were 4418 domestic abuse incidents recorded by the police. 411 high-risk cases were discussed at MARAC.
Both statutory and third sector organisations are MARAC members:
- Police Scotland (Fife Division)
- Social Work (Children & Families and Criminal Justice)
- Education Service
- Housing Service
- NHS Fife (including Addiction Services)
- Fife Women's Aid
- Third Sector Drug and Alcohol Services
Fife Violence Against Women Partnership
Email: FVAWP@fife.gov.uk