CLYDEBANK Women’s Aid has seen a “sharp rise” in the number of women seeking help since new domestic abuse laws were introduced.

Police Scotland has revealed that across the country, 1,669 offences have been recorded under the new Domestic Abuse law since its introduction on April 1, 2019.

But, Clydebank Women’s Aid, which also offers support to those living in the West of Glasgow, said the figures don’t accurately reflect the number of victims suffering from domestic abuse.

A spokeswoman said: “Whilst the number of cases is encouraging, this does not accurately reflect the number of women, children and young people experiencing domestic abuse – specifically coercive control.

“This law is not retrospective, meaning past offences cannot be pursued by police.

"As an organisation, we have seen a sharp rise in new referrals from women who have not been in contact with our service previously, the highest proportion of which are self referrals."

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