9 Dec 2020
Vets warned about ‘perfect storm’ of non-accident injury cases
David Martin – one of the driving forces behind IVC Evidensia’s new scheme to increase reporting rates of NAIs – says profession needs to do more to support clinicians and realise a “proper problem” exists.

Image © Maria Sbytova / Adobe Stock
Increased reporting by vets of non-accidental injury (NAI) cases could play a crucial role in reducing domestic violence and child abuse.
According to David Martin – one of the driving forces behind IVC Evidensia’s new scheme to increase reporting rates of NAIs – the profession needs to do more to support clinicians and realise a “proper problem” exists surrounding the issue.
Reports of domestic abuse soared during the first lockdown and it is “all but certain” a similar spike has occurred in the number of animals being abused.
He said: “NAI is more relevant at the moment because we know that in COVID the reports on domestic violence and child abuse have skyrocketed, and we know that the statistics would suggest very strong links to animal abuse.
“Hence there is almost certainly more animal abuse going on out there at the moment than there normally is.”
Confidentiality
He added: “Vets haven’t felt able to report NAIs, historically, because of their concerns about breaching client confidentiality and more latterly GDPR. There are a huge number of other reasons, too, why it hasn’t always happened as well as it should do.
“But it is even more imperative that practices stay aware of the possibility of NAI – particularly while we are working under difficult circumstances – in terms of having clients in buildings and consultations where it may not be as easy as it normally is to get the information if you are suspicious it’s an NAI.
“It is almost a perfect storm – we think we’ve got a higher rate of NAI going on in animals, but our ability to gather the information that might make us suspicious of that is hidden by COVID.”
Peer-to-peer support
Last month IVC Evidensia launched a group-wide service – believed to be the largest of its kind in the UK – to provide vets with peer-to-peer support to discuss suspected cases of NAI.
The new structures are designed to help clients and their pets, but Dr Martin made it clear they are also in place to protect IVC staff who may be victims of domestic violence.
He added: “Some of our staff will be the victims of violence in their own lives and we have a duty of care to our staff. We need to be able to offer our staff some support in respect of that if our staff want that support or choose to share their concern.
“The project IVC has put in place is raising awareness and supporting the animal side of things, but it is also supporting our staff who may be working with victims and our staff who may be victims.
“Vets tend to like to speak to other vets and this will give them the chance to discuss their suspicions with another vet. We should be reporting when we have reasonable suspicion, not when we are certain, but there is always a question about whether somebody’s suspicion is reasonable, so having the chance to speak to a peer who is a more familiar with the subject is invaluable.”
‘Tool in armoury’
Dr Martin – who serves as an expert witness for the RSPCA, police services, The Crown Prosecution Service and various local authorities – added that proposed five-year sentences for animal cruelty could make NAI reports an even more powerful tool.
He said: “Quite often we are finding that police are getting cases that are combined human and animal abuse, and historically the animal abuse was considered to be lower importance because the sentences were not significant, but by increasing the sentences suddenly this becomes another tool in the armoury against violence.
“Making vets feel more confident in making a diagnosis of NAI could help reduce the amount of human domestic violence and help keep people safe.
“In some of the NAI cases in animals I have worked on, we have uncovered domestic violence to the members of the family within that animal’s family group.
“So by investigating the animals we have given the human victims the opportunities to come forward and say it is happening to them, too. I have been involved in a number of those cases.”
The Links Group – a collaborative initiative – also provides training and support to veterinary teams to help them recognise and act on concerns of NAI and domestic abuse.
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