Perpetrator
A term from the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice (APP), reproduced under the Open Government Licence with a link back to the authoritative source.
Definition
A person who commits domestic abuse. Depending on the stage of the criminal justice process, the terms ‘suspect’, ‘defendant’ or ‘offender’ may also apply.
This definition is drawn from the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice. For the full operational guidance and current wording, read it at source.
Related terms
Children and young people
A child under 18 years is legally recognised as a victim in their own right if they see, hear or experience the effects of domestic abuse and are related to the victim or perpetrator.
Domestic Abuse
A behaviour is domestic abuse if both of the following apply: both parties are aged 16 years or over and are personally connected; the behaviour is abusive.
Economic Abuse
Behaviour that has a substantial adverse effect on the victim’s ability to acquire, use or maintain money or other property; obtain goods or services.
Personally connected
Two people are personally connected if they are, or have been: married or civil partners; engaged or in an intimate personal relationship; relatives; parents of the same child or have parental responsibility for the same child.
Serial perpetrator
A person reported to the police as having committed or threatened domestic abuse against two or more victims.
Victim
The term ‘victim’ is used in line with the Ministry of Justice Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (2020). It recognises the harm experienced by those subjected to domestic abuse.
Definition reproduced from the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See the source link above for the authoritative, current wording.