One in five people arrested over 2024 riots have since been reported for domestic abuse

One out of every five people arrested after their participation in the 2024 summer riots has since been reported to the police for domestic abuse, the Guardian can disclose. Police data released under freedom of information (FoI) laws shows that 21% of 949 people arrested for taking part in the violent disorder have been reported for crimes associated with intimate partner violence since August 2024. For individuals arrested by Cumbria police, this figure was as high as 54%. Offences for which alleged rioters have since been reported include common assault, controlling and coercive behaviour, breach of domestic violence protection notice and injunctions, threats to kill, actual bodily harm, and criminal damage. The Guardian previously revealed that two out of every five arrested for participating in the riots had been the subject of a domestic abuse report before their involvement in the public disorder. Calls to protect women and children alongside anti-migrant rhetoric have been a common feature of these rallies. The Guardian’s data was obtained through FoI requests sent to 21 police forces covering the 27 towns and cities across England and Northern Ireland where the 2024 riots took place. The 27 towns were identified as sites of significant disorder in a House of Commons briefing document published in September 2024. Between 30 July and 7 August 2024, an estimated 29 anti-immigration demonstrations and riots took place. …