Milton Keynes currently faces the highest rates of domestic abuse in the Thames Valley region, according to local charity MK Act, which states the area accounts for 17 percent of all related incidents reported to Thames Valley Police. To address this issue, Milton Keynes City Council officially adopted a new strategy and action plan on 24 February 2026, aimed at improving support for victims and prevention efforts across the city.
Local charity MK Act, which has provided essential services for 50 years (founded in 1975), currently supports over 100 families every day. The organisation operates an emergency refuge that can house 28 families and approximately 45 children at any given time. As the charity celebrates its half-century anniversary, it is currently working to raise £50,000 to continue its intervention work and provide a pathway away from abuse for those in the community.
Data from 2020 indicates the scale of the challenge, with approximately 12,000 adults in Milton Keynes experiencing domestic violence annually. Across the wider police force area, 32,000 incidents were recorded in a recent six-month period, with 45 percent involving children, according to Thames Valley Police. This equates to 78 children every day who are either experiencing or being exposed to domestic abuse.
Former Police Commander for Milton Keynes, Marc Tarbit, noted in 2021 that the high number of reports in the city indicates that local residents feel more confident in coming forward to report abuse to the authorities. Nationally, domestic abuse is estimated to affect one in four women and one in six men during their lifetimes, according to the Office for National Statistics. Across the United Kingdom, police receive an emergency call relating to domestic abuse on average every minute.
The new strategy, developed alongside local partners, focuses on strengthening the response to these high reporting levels. Officials aim to ensure that victims have access to the necessary resources to find safety and move forward from traumatic situations.
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