Yvette Cooper has described domestic abuse and sexual violence against women and girls as reaching “epidemic” levels, and argued that their effects should be treated as a health issue. She is expected to outline how the NHS and public health services could help victims in her Labour conference speech, as the government seeks to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

The Crime Survey for England and Wales estimates that 739,000 women experienced sexual assault and 2.2 million experienced domestic abuse in a year; the article notes that sexual violence is widely under-reported. Perpetrators are most often current or former partners or other people known to victims. The president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists said abuse can cause lasting mental-health problems, including suicidal thoughts and symptoms of psychosis.