THE fight-back against the "hidden menace" of domestic violence was launched in Gwent yesterday - with the pledge that research here will help victims nationwide.

Criminal justice chiefs say lessons learned from the pioneering project - looking to boost the low rate of successful domestic violence prosecutions - will be shared across the UK.

The Gwent Crown Prosecution Service is leading the pilot scheme, which was launched in Caerphilly borough.

Preliminary findings on how successful the multi-agency scheme is should be available in September.

At the launch of the pilot scheme yesterday, the chief Crown prosecutor for CPS Gwent, Chris Woolley, said: "The good practice will be shared across Gwent, but also across the whole country."

Speaking from the Gwent CPS offices in Newport city centre, he said the project would run throughout 2004, and the Gwent Probation Service, Caerphilly borough council and Gwent Police would also be ensuring victims received support as part of the scheme.

Mr Woolley said: "The CPS will be in constant contact with police as the case is prepared.

"We want to demystify cases for victims and make the experience of being a victim less painful."

Jude Watson, the national CPS domestic violence officer, said the project was part of an overall plan to improve the service for victims.

Detective Inspector Martyn Dew, the lead officer on domestic violence for Gwent Police, told the conference: "This is a deep-rooted problem that needs more than one agency."

He hoped that the project would reduce the number of domestic violence attacks.

Jane Coates, Gwent Probation Service's lead officer, said domestic violence was a "hidden menace", and the project should be extended to all areas of Gwent in the future, and further afield.

Funding for the project comes from the government and the Gwent Criminal Justice Board.

Harriet Harman, MP, the government's solicitor-general, was expected to launch the project yesterday, but was unable to attend.

But a message from her was read out during the launch, which said: "I express support for the pilot project in Gwent. It will be significant for tackling domestic violence in a less urban area and will encourage victims to come forward so perpetrators can be prosecuted."

Simon Boyle, Lord Lieutenant for Gwent, also chairman of the Gwent Criminal Justice Board, said the project was crucial to increasing public confidence about domestic violence prosecutions.