West Yorkshire Police is reaching out to football fans ahead of the start of the World Cup urging them not to lose it all for football.
The force said that during the Euro 2016 tournament, and other major sporting events, they have seen spikes in domestic abuse incidents, particularly during key games or matches that fall on weekends.
On the day of the first England game during Euro 2016, police were called to 185 domestic abuse incidents, compared to 152 incidents the Saturday before the tournament. The day of the final match between Portugal and France there were 204 reports of domestic abuse to West Yorkshire Police.
Assistant Chief Constable Catherine Hankinson said: “Sporting events such as the World Cup should be an opportunity to come together in celebration – or even commiseration – but they should never be a backdrop for domestic abuse.
“Unfortunately, traditionally we have generally seen an increase in reports of domestic abuse during major sporting events.
“Behind every single incident of domestic abuse is not only a victim but also an offender who is risking losing everything – and these are the people we are targeting as part of this campaign.”
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