Football doesn't cause abuse—abusers do.
As England enters the World Cup, prosecutors and charities are confronting a pattern as predictable as the tournament itself: domestic abuse rises when the nation watches football, spiking whether the team wins or loses. The Crown Prosecution Service has issued a rare public appeal to victims, promising accountability regardless of the scoreline, while researchers and advocates remind us that the pitch is not the cause — only the occasion. What the data reveals is not a football problem but a violence problem, one that major tournaments briefly illuminate before the world moves on.
- Research shows domestic abuse climbs 26% when England wins and 38% when they lose — the scoreboard offers no safety to victims at home.
- During Euro 2024 alone, police recorded over 300 offences where victims linked their abuser's behaviour directly to football, turning living rooms into danger zones.
- A Reform MP's social media post suggesting England must keep winning 'for women's safety' drew fierce backlash from charities, who warned it handed perpetrators a ready-made excuse.
- The CPS is responding with force: four in five police-referred domestic abuse cases result in charges, and prosecutors say they will not hesitate to act throughout the tournament.
- Women's Aid has named the moment abusers typically return home from matches 'The Other Kick Off' — a grim campaign that maps danger to a clock rather than a final whistle.
- Advocates warn that framing abuse as football-triggered risks obscuring its true nature as a year-round pattern of control, and are pressing for prosecution intensity that outlasts the tournament.
As England prepares for the World Cup, the Crown Prosecution Service is bracing for what it knows is coming: a measurable rise in domestic abuse. Prosecutors have issued a direct public appeal to victims, promising that abusers will face consequences regardless of whether their team wins or loses.
Olivia Rose, the CPS's national stalking lead, was clear that football itself does not cause abuse — but alcohol and emotional intensity surrounding matches can amplify existing violence. The statistics are sobering: Lancaster University research found abuse incidents rise 26% when England wins or draws, and 38% when they lose. During Euro 2024, police recorded more than 300 offences where victims believed football was connected to their abuser's behaviour.
Rose spoke directly to the barriers victims face in coming forward, emphasising that they will be taken seriously and that support services are available. Women's Aid has launched a campaign called The Other Kick Off, naming the moment abusers typically return home from matches — a practical, if grim, way of identifying when danger peaks.
The conversation has not been without controversy. Reform MP Sarah Pochin was sharply criticised after posting that England must keep winning 'for the sake of women's safety.' Refuge called the post highly inappropriate and warned it could help perpetrators avoid accountability. Rose's response was unequivocal: there is never an excuse, win or lose.
Charities are careful to keep responsibility firmly placed. Ellie Butt of Refuge stated plainly that football doesn't cause abuse — abusers do. The deeper concern among advocates is that framing abuse as tournament-related risks making it seem situational, when it reflects an enduring pattern of control and harm. Refuge welcomed the prosecution efforts but stressed that this level of response must continue long after the final whistle.
As England prepares for the World Cup, prosecutors across the country are bracing for something they see with predictable regularity: a spike in domestic abuse cases. The Crown Prosecution Service has issued a direct appeal to victims, promising that abusers will face consequences regardless of whether their team wins or loses on the pitch.
Olivia Rose, the CPS's national stalking lead, laid out the reality plainly. Major football tournaments bring a measurable increase in abuse reports, she said, and the message from prosecutors is unambiguous: those responsible will be held accountable. "We won't hesitate to bring them to justice," Rose stated. She was careful to distinguish cause from catalyst. Football itself doesn't cause abuse, she emphasized, but alcohol and the emotional intensity surrounding matches can amplify existing violence. The data backs this up. Four in five domestic abuse cases referred by police result in charges, a statistic Rose cited as evidence of how seriously the system treats these crimes.
The numbers tell a stark story. Research from Lancaster University found that when England plays, domestic abuse incidents rise by 26 percent if the team wins or draws—and by 38 percent if they lose. During Euro 2024, police recorded more than 300 domestic abuse offences where victims believed the perpetrator's behavior was connected to football. These aren't abstract statistics. They represent individual moments of violence, fear, and harm occurring in homes across the country.
The appeal to victims carries weight because it acknowledges the barrier many face in coming forward. Rose spoke directly to this: "We understand how difficult it can be to report domestic abuse, but if they do come forward, that they will be taken seriously." Support services exist, she said, and victims need to know about them. The charity Women's Aid has launched a campaign called The Other Kick Off, which identifies the time when abusers typically return home from matches—a grim but practical way of highlighting when danger peaks.
Not everyone has handled the issue with care. Reform MP Sarah Pochin drew sharp criticism earlier this month when she posted on social media that "for the sake of women's safety we need England to keep winning." Refuge, a major domestic abuse charity, called the post "highly inappropriate" and pointed out that it was not only misleading but could actually help perpetrators escape accountability. Rose's response was direct: there is never an excuse, win or lose.
Charities working in this space are careful to place responsibility where it belongs. Ellie Butt, head of policy at Refuge, was explicit: "Football doesn't cause abuse—abusers do." While tournaments can intensify existing violence, she noted, abuse happens year-round, often hidden and unreported. The concern among advocates is that focusing on football as a trigger might inadvertently suggest the abuse is somehow situational or temporary, when in fact it reflects a deeper pattern of control and harm. Refuge welcomed the prosecution efforts during the World Cup but stressed that this intensity of response must extend beyond the tournament season.
Police and prosecutors are coordinating closely. Louisa Rolfe, an assistant commissioner and the national policing lead for domestic abuse, said the priority throughout the tournament is to support and protect anyone at risk. Officers will use all available powers to identify offenders, secure evidence, and bring cases to court. The machinery is in place. What remains is whether victims will use it—and whether the attention the World Cup brings to this issue will translate into sustained action once the tournament ends.
Citações Notáveis
Those responsible will be held accountable, and we won't hesitate to bring them to justice.— Olivia Rose, CPS national stalking lead
Football doesn't cause abuse—abusers do.— Ellie Butt, Refuge head of policy and public affairs
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does a football tournament specifically trigger this kind of violence? Is it really the sport itself?
No, and that's the crucial distinction prosecutors are making. Football doesn't cause abuse. But when you combine alcohol, emotional investment, and a home environment where someone already has a pattern of control, the match becomes a flashpoint. The heightened emotions, the stakes, the drinking—these can push someone who's already inclined toward violence over the edge.
The numbers are striking—38 percent increase when England loses. That's a huge jump. What does that tell us?
It tells us that the abuser's sense of control and status is fragile. A loss feels like a humiliation, and that gets redirected at the person closest to them. It's not really about the football. It's about needing to reassert dominance when something external has made them feel powerless.
Sarah Pochin's comment about England needing to keep winning—why was that so dangerous?
Because it suggests the solution is to manage the abuser's mood through match outcomes. It frames abuse as a side effect of losing rather than a choice the abuser makes. It lets the perpetrator off the hook by implying their violence is conditional. Refuge was right to push back hard on that.
Four in five cases get charged. That's actually a strong prosecution rate. So why do victims still struggle to come forward?
Because reporting means breaking silence, often in a relationship where the abuser has spent months or years isolating them or making them feel responsible. The prosecution rate is reassuring, but it doesn't change the fear, the shame, or the practical barriers—where will I go, can I afford to leave, will anyone believe me. The CPS is trying to lower that barrier by saying explicitly: we will take you seriously.
What happens after the World Cup ends?
That's the real question. Charities are worried the attention will evaporate. Abuse doesn't stop when the tournament ends. It continues, often invisible, in homes where no one is watching. The hope is that this moment of visibility creates lasting change in how seriously these cases are treated year-round.