Leeds Rhinos star backing campaign to raise awareness of domestic abuse

Mr Jones-Buchanan joined Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan and other senior figures from across the city who took part in a short video produced by the council for this year’s White Ribbon and 16 days of action campaign, which ends on December 10.

Paul Money, chief officer for Safer Leeds, and The Rev Canon Sam Corley of the Diocese of Leeds also appear on the video to raise awareness of domestic abuse and encourage men to promise that they will not commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women.

This year has seen a much bigger spike in domestic abuse cases due to the restrictions enforced during the ongoing coronavirus crisis, which is a key focus throughout the video.

Although levels of reporting reduced at the end of the first lockdown, they still remain higher than at the start of the year.

There is greatest concern for those people and families who are not making contact with services and who may be in very risky situations.

In September, Mr Jones-Buchanan spoke of his family’s devastation over the stabbing to death of his cousin Bethany Fields.

The Super League club’s assistant coach spoke after Miss Fields’ former boyfriend Paul Crowther was given a life sentence for the manslaughter of the 21-year student from Bramley.

Crowther, 36, from Birstall, near Batley, “ambushed” Miss Fields in Huddersfield on September 12 last year and stabbed her with a kitchen knife after she ended their relationship.

Mr Jones-Buchanan said her death had inspired him to become closely involved in a domestic violence campaign which was launched earlier this year.

Mr Jones-Buchanan, a trustee of the Rhinos Foundation, said he was trying to get the message across that domestic abuse should not be tolerated and urged victims - and abusers - to seek help too.

Nationally, one in five five offences recorded by police during and immediately after the first national lockdown in England and Wales involved domestic abuse, figures show.

Police recorded more than a quarter of a million offences flagged as domestic abuse-related over April to June, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

The 259,324 offences represent a rise of seven per cent from the same period in 2019, and an 18 per cent rise from two years ago.

The ONS said the number of offences flagged as involving domestic abuse has been increasing over recent years, so it cannot be determined whether the rise is directly due to the pandemic.