Police arrests 14 men in operation targeting people wanted for domestic abuse

NEWHAM, London, United Kingdom – Officers from the Central East Command Unit today executed about 60 warrants at addresses across Islington, Newham and Hackney  as part of a proactive operation aimed at detaining people being sought in connection with offences related to domestic abuse.

Fourteen men, aged in their 20s and 30s, were arrested on suspicion of offences which included, causing grievous bodily harm (GBH), harassment, coercive and controlling behaviour, and common assault. They have been taken into custody at east London police stations.

“This multi-phase operation is a small part of the Met’s ongoing commitment to cracking down on domestic abuse, bringing perpetrators to justice, and safeguarding victims, the Met police said.

Detective Inspector Sean Lyons, of the Central East Command Unit, said: “Today’s operation has been very successful, with a large number of suspects in custody where they cannot pose a further threat to their victims. Our work continues, however, and we will now look at progressing the investigations and how best to protect the victims. 

“I hope today’s operation sends out a message to domestic abusers that they cannot act with impunity, and we will work to ensure they are held to account in a court of law where appropriate.”

Chief Superintendent Sue Williams, the Met’s lead on Domestic Abuse, added: “This large-scale targeted operation being led by frontline officers is a fantastic example of our robust approach to domestic violence offending, and of the work we are doing all year round to improve our response to these types of crimes.

“Domestic abuse is often committed behind closed doors with victims feeling trapped and isolated with nowhere to turn. We dedicate significant resources to tackling this issue as has been demonstrated today, and I hope that victims take confidence from operations like this; we can and will act on information, and we have processes in place to protect you from further harm. 

“Operation Athena is our long-term approach to bringing more domestic abuse suspects to justice, and we continue to work to strengthen our collaborative work with partner agencies to ensure that we identify perpetrators and achieve the best possible outcomes for victims.”