SPECIALIST courts have been set up to fast-track domestic violence cases through the system.

Police receive calls from about ten victims of domestic violence in Oxfordshire every day.

Now specialist domestic violence hearings will be held at Oxford Magistrates' Court every Thursday to cope with the rising number of cases.

advertisementTrials will take priority over all other cases and hearings will be fast-tracked through the court system within six weeks, to limit likelihood of further attacks on the victims.

Magistrates, prosecutors and probation staff have been trained to deal specially with domestic violence cases.

Thames Valley Crown Prosecution Service has been given official specialist domestic violence court status after running a successful pilot scheme last year.

Tracey Johnson-Brown, sensitive case team unit head at the CPS, said: "Domestic violence is one of the only crimes where you don't feel safe in your own home. You can't just crawl under the duvet and close the curtains.

"We've got more people to come forward and I would still like to see that increase.

"Of murders of women, 43 per cent are by partners or former partners.

"To reduce violent offences, physical violence and sexual assaults it is essential we treat domestic violence differently and provide a quality service.

"We want to increase safety for victims, bring more perpetrators to justice and make sure that we are dealing with what is a massive problem as effectively as we possibly can and increase confidence for victims to use the criminal justice system."

Witnesses, defendants and victims will be kept apart with different seating areas and courts will also be advised to use video links.

Domestic violence across Oxfordshire has increased in recent years. Between April last year and January this year there were 2,240 reports of abuse in the home.

Det Chief Insp Paul Gration, of the public protection unit, said: "Police in Oxfordshire are taking a zero tolerance approach to domestic abuse perpetrators and working hard to bring them to justice.

"The Oxfordshire domestic abuse action group is working towards a multi-agency approach and developing the best service responses to victims and survivors.

"The specialist courts are an example of the police working with other agencies to investigate domestic violence professionally and thoroughly."

Domestic abuse should be reported to police on the 999 emergency number or on Thames Valley Police's non-emergency number 08458 505505.