Domestic abuse affects us all - and we need to do more to break the silence that surrounds victims

Last year, domestic violence took the lives of 173 people across the United Kingdom.

Only this week we have learnt that the number of women killed by a partner or an ex-partner has risen by almost a third in just one year, while countless others have suffered and continue to suffer in silence.

We have come a long way since the days when violence in the family home was dismissed as "just a domestic", but as a society we have not gone far enough.

Domestic abuse is a devastating crime which affects all of us - men and women, the children who witness it and remain at risk, and the concerned families, friends and neighbours.

It is particularly horrific because it leaves vulnerable people, including children, living in fear in the place where they should feel most safe and secure - their own homes.

The brave intervention in Parliament by the Member of Parliament for Canterbury, Rosie Duffield, was one of the most significant contributions on domestic abuse in recent years. As she so eloquently put it, domestic violence has many faces, and the faces of those who survive it are varied, too.

As a father of three daughters, I cannot imagine women and young children living in the fear articulated by Rosie. But sadly, we know that many do live like that - and we have a duty to protect them.

We need to do more to break the silence that surrounds victims, stamp out the stigma and strengthen our support for survivors.

That's why today I have announced an additional £16.6 million into helping local areas provide life-saving care and protection for domestic abuse victims and their children.

It will put an end to the postcode lottery of service provision so that no matter where you live, you will be able to access the support you need.

We are indebted to the brilliant refuges and their dedicated staff up and down the country who support victims of domestic abuse, both on the frontline and through ensuring their voices are heard.

I've seen first-hand how vital these efforts are through the brilliant work of the Women's Aid refuge in my constituency in Newark.

It is for these women and so many others that we will be reintroducing the landmark Domestic Abuse Bill in Parliament - to strengthen support for victims and focus on bringing perpetrators to justice.

One of the most significant measures in the Bill is the introduction of the first ever legal definition of domestic abuse. The definition recognises that abuse takes many forms, including economic abuse and controlling and manipulative behaviour - these may be non-physical forms of abuse, but they are just as crippling.

It will seem unthinkable to those of us fortunate enough to be in happy and loving homes that someone could wake up one day to find out that their partner had cut off their access to financial resources; that money for essentials would be controlled by their partner, a perpetrator of domestic abuse. Or to leave to go out and discover the car keys had been withheld. Or to be faced with the prospect of losing your home because of the abuse.

I want domestic abuse to be widely understood and recognised, and this legal definition will go some way in ensuring that happens.

The recent government appointment of a new Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, will build on this work - championing the voices of victims and making recommendations on how we can go further to better protect victims and bring more offenders to justice.

As Secretary of State, I will do all I can to take action on domestic abuse. I am backing the hard-working local people running refuges with the funding they need to continue with their inspirational work.

I want to help more victims to have the confidence to speak out, in the knowledge that they will be supported as they take a step towards rebuilding their lives. And my door will always be open to talking about this issue.

You deserve, and will receive, our support. There's a long way to go to, but together, we can turn the tide on domestic abuse once and for all.