Domestic abuse suspects need more education, warns Cambridgeshire charity
Figures show cases rise by nearly 40% when England lose
A charity in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is calling on more education for those responsible of domestic abuse towards people who are hard of hearing.
Figures from the National Centre for Domestic Violence show abuse cases rise by 38% when the England football team lose, and more than 25% whatever the result.
"I think there's an education piece to do for perpetrators so they can identify what behaviours they're doing that are illegal, morally incorrect and harmful to try and prevent it at source," Andy Palmer, chief executive at the Cambridgeshire Deaf Association (CDA), said.
The message comes after England lost 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday night, having taken the lead thanks to Anthony Gordon's second-half strike.
Despite football itself not a direct cause of domestic abuse, high emotions and alcohol use can make abuse worse where it already exists, according to Women's Aid.
Signposting to help
CDA has recently been backed by Darryl Preston, the county's police and crime commissioner (PCC), Cambridgeshire county and Peterborough city councils in offering support to local deaf or hearing-impaired victims and survivors.
Andy hopes that when England do play, this can act as a way of being able to raise awareness of what support is out there for deaf people who have suffered abuse.
"We're grateful to partners like SignHealth who provide a national remote domestic abuse support service for creating online resources to make deaf women aware that they're likely to be abused following an England game," he added.
"People will build up the strength to leave a perpetrator but then go back; it's all part of the mind games the perpetrators play and I think it's more likely in the deaf community if you don't have people around who can support you to keep out of abusive relationships."
Mr Preston's office said a countywide service - which aims to give access to specialist support for domestic abuse quickly - commissioned by him received 468 police referrals and supported 382 people in the first quarter of 2026-27.
The service builds on a successful 12-month pilot delivered by Peterborough Women's Aid, where during the pilot, 1,500 referrals were received and 1,182 victims and survivors were supported.
"These appalling crimes leave long-lasting emotional and psychological scars, and we must not miss any opportunity to save lives and promote healing," Mr Preston said.
“The model’s success is evidenced by the sheer volume of victims supported over the initial year of delivery; there is no doubt that this service is urgently needed and valued."