OFFICERS are urging domestic abuse victims to come forward as part of global Peace Day.

The Peace One Day campaign looks to see the largest global reduction of violence, focusing on violence against women.

Det Insp Lorraine Parker said: “Today’s Peace Day is about reducing domestic abuse by encouraging victims and those who are aware of victims of abuse to contact police or other support agencies.

“I would urge anyone who is a victim of abuse not to suffer in silence and take that first step towards seeking help.

“In April we launched the force’s first Domestic Abuse Investigations and Safeguarding Unit (DAISU) to investigate all domestic abuse crimes, meaning victims deal with specially trained officers.”

The Independent Domestic Violence Advisory Service (IVDVAS), run by Cambridgeshire police and the county council, helps support high risk victims.

The team has recently recruited the county’s first Young Persons IDVAS who provides support to young people aged between 13 and 19 years old, who are or have been in abusive intimate relationships.

Deirdre Reed, domestic abuse manager, said: “We are seeing an increase in the reporting of domestic abuse by young people within the county and it’s important that we respond to this, by providing dedicated resources to support and protect those young people.

“We are supporting an increasing number of female victims of a young age, who also may have young children themselves. Those very young children are equally vulnerable and also at risk of harm from the same identified perpetrator. We work closely with our colleagues in child protection to ensure everyone affected by the abuse receives the right level of protection.”