Along with the Worcestershire Forum Against Domestic Abuse, we have been supporting the 16 Days of Action campaign to end domestic violence.
The international campaign started on Sunday, November 25 – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – and ends today, International Human Rights Day.
Martin Lakeman, strategic co-ordinator for the forum, said: “The Worcestershire Forum Against Domestic Abuse would like to thank the Worcester News for its support. Through raising awareness of the issue we are hopeful that more men, women and children will feel able to come forward and find peace and safety.”
Here we end our coverage with one woman’s story:
“My relationship began when I was just 16 years old.
“The violence began five years later – when I was 21 – after the birth of my son.
“I remember the first time vividly. I had just finished breast feeding my son and after 11 months I planned a night out with my friends.
“Just as I was about to leave to drop my son off with a babysitter, he arrived home and immediately started shouting. He said: ‘You are not going out, you’ve not washed up’ and then he punched me in the face five times. Over the years, the violence escalated and continued until I left at the age of 30, having spent more than 15 years of my life in a destructive and abusive relationship.
“My son was 13 when we left and due to the nature of the abuse we received, we were forced to leave our home and live in a refuge more than 60 miles away from family and friends and the lives we had built around us. We stayed in the refuge for six months and were then rehoused.
“The support we received from Stonham was phenomenal and I don’t think I would have been able to cope with the move and the emotional upheaval if it had not been for the outreach support we had after leaving the refuge.
“With their support, I am now settled in my new home and even though the scars of domestic abuse will never leave me, my children and I are now safe and well.” In an emergency, call 999.
For confidential free advice and help, call the Worcestershire Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0800 9803331 or visit worcestershire.gov.uk/wfada.
