Domestic violence 'kills 30 a year'

Domestic violence is now responsible for 30 murders in London each year, according to research commissioned by Ken Livingstone.

Amid concern that attacks in the home account for more than a quarter of all violent crime reported to the police, the Mayor is backing calls for persistent abusers to be electronically tagged.

Mr Livingstone also plans to lobby for a change in the law to allow domestic violence to be considered an aggravating factor when dealing with sentencing, as is currently the case with racist crimes.

Research conducted for Mr Livingstone reveals that:

? One allegation of domestic violence is made to the police in Greater London every 12 minutes.

? One third of all common assaults reported to the Met relate to domestic violence.

? One in four women will experience domestic violence.

? Ninety per cent of children are in the same or the next room when violence occurs. A third are injured trying to protect their mothers.

? One in six homelessness applications results from domestic violence.

Mr Livingstone said: "The work starts now. The Metropolitan Police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Association of London Government have all signed up to this strategy, which means this issue is now being taken seriously."

The Mayor has been persuaded that official action can make a difference. Following campaigns in the United States over a five year period, domestic violence fell by 21 per cent. Today at Romney House, representatives from the Mayor's office, the Commons and women's groups are marking the 10th birthday of the Domestic Violence Intervention Project.

Meanwhile, a woman was found stabbed to death in her home following a suspected domestic incident.

Police are questioning 31-year-old man who walked into Brixton police station at 10.25pm on Monday. Officers then went to a nearby flat where they found the woman's body.