The Women's Resource Centre is lobbying the Police and Government to change the law in a bid to stop women changing their minds about pressing charges in cases of domestic abuse.

"At the moment if a person (victim) decides that they do not want to do anything, then the hands of the law are tied to a certain degree," said WRC executive director Penny Dill yesterday.

"If the law is changed it will instead become a Police matter and they will be able to arrest (the abuser) in cases of domestic violence."

Ms Dill was speaking after an alleged domestic abuse victim appeared in Magistrates' Court yesterday and said she wanted to drop charges against her alleged attacker.

Her alleged attacker, Gerald Cameron Hall, 37, of Barracks Close, St. George's, was charged with breaching a domestic protection order, unlawfully entering the defendant's house at night, assaulting her, confining her against her will on January 3 and 4 of this year, and sexually assaulting her.

But before Hall's lawyer, Craig Attridge, could elect a short or long form preliminary inquiry, the woman stood up and told the court that she wanted to drop the charges against Hall.

Crown counsel Shakira Dill asked for the matter to be set down for mention.

Acting Senior Magistrate Carlisle Greaves released Hall on bail and the matter will be heard on February 11.

Ms Dill said that many women did not realise that what they were allowing to happen to themselves was classed as a crime.

She called on the courts to send men who beat up women to attend management behaviour classes.

"We need to place some of the responsibility on him in cases like this," said Ms Dill.

"Abusers can learn what triggers them and how to stop the cycle of abuse."

She said that women go back to men for many different reasons, economic, lack of affordable housing, children, love and fear.

But she said: "Women are putting themselves at a greater risk each time they return and say, 'I don't want to do it (press charges) now'.

"They are more at risk because the next time it only gets worse."