As we celebrate the festive period, Warwickshire County Council wants to remind victims of domestic abuse of the support that is available to them locally within Warwickshire.
Alarmingly, throughout the UK its estimated that two women a week are killed due to acts of domestic abuse, bought on by a partner, ex-partner or a family member. It’s important that victims have support and options to enable them, when ready, to leave their perpetrator and seek support from organisations such as Refuge, Warwickshire.
Cllr Margaret Bell, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health said: “We know it’s not easy for anyone to leave a relationship that they may have been in, whether they are male female, or LGBTQ+ .
She added: “Many perpetrators will have broken their victim down over the years to the point they may be controlling everything, from who they see, what they spend their money on, how they dress, to how they act. We want to offer a safety net that when ready, victims are able to take the leap and start a new life, free of harm and abuse for themselves and any dependents they may have.”
Of course, domestic abuse and violence does not discriminate against victims. For many faiths, there are rituals and arrangements that are categorised as harmful practises here in the UK, such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), forced marriage, honour killings and human trafficking. It is wrong to have anyone make you do something that you disagree with.
If you are, or know someone who is subject to a form of harmful practise, you should report the incident to Warwickshire Police by calling 101 (in an emergency dial 999) or by contacting Refuge via the website https://www.refuge.org.uk or by calling 0800 408 1552.
If you are helping someone who is struggling with the idea of leaving a perpetrator this festive season, you can help them with the following steps:
- Engage with the victim and ask them to reach out to supportive family and friends who can help practically (e.g., food, childcare) as well as in coping with stress.
- Together with the victim, develop a safety plan that includes any dependents such as children or siblings. This includes keeping numbers of neighbours, friends and family who can be called on for help; have accessible important documents, money, a few personal things ready to go if they need to leave immediately; make a plan how they can exit the house and access help (please go to www.talk2someone.org.uk for a list of partners who can help).
- Collate helpful information with the victim that includes information and support services.
For further information about relevant partners and advice and tips for abuse victims please go to www.refuge.org.uk / call 0800 408 1552. Alternatively you can go to www.talk2someone.org.uk/