This thesis is about criminal justice intervention and responses to intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in England and Wales, and Portugal. It emerges in the context of the avid debate in both countries concerning (in)adequate responses to IPV, which has recently occupied a centre stage position in the political, policymaking, and academic discourse. Research into intimate partner violence is increasing, reflecting new attention towards its high prevalence. There have been numerous studies on the intervention of the criminal justice system, for example, from evaluations of the efforts of prosecutors, to the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs. This field has also witnessed an increased focus on victims’ contacts with the criminal justice system, particularly on the interface between these and the police or the courts. Studies revealed both positive and negative experiences of victims with different criminal justice agencies, this being dependent upon the system’s responsiveness to victims’ needs for instance. However, as Hart (1993) claimed, victims’ needs are not always in alignment with those of the criminal justice system and its purposes, such as the punishment of the offender. It is therefore important to explore victims’ personal views and experiences concerning the criminal justice system and signal their needs and expectations regarding intervention.

The present research seeks to address these issues, guided by the central question: what do victims see as an appropriate and legitimate response to IPV? Importantly, this is not explored through a sentencing lens; rather, this research might be better characterised as a victims' services study. Therefore, drawing from the examples of Portugal and England and Wales, it explores victims’ perceptions and experiences of criminal justice interventions in intimate partner violence, and how the impact of these interventions shapes their understandings of legitimate and appropriate responses. It also focuses on the perceived potential of restorative justice as a response to IPV. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifty-six female victims of IPV by male partners and thirty-one non-governmental and third sector practitioners across England and Portugal.

The findings shed light on victims’ conceptions of fair and appropriate criminal justice intervention in IPV situations and suggest women present multiple and often competing conceptions of justice which are not always in alignment with the criminal justice system. They generate thinking on theory, policy, and practice and provide lessons for Portugal and England and Wales.