Silent no more: Male victims of domestic abuse speak out
Three men who were beaten by abusive partners have broken their silence in a bid to save a lifeline service.
Bosses at Abused Men In Scotland have said it will shut its doors for good at the end of the month. The Edinburgh-based charity – who run support groups and a helpline – say the safety of 350 men it helps every year will be put at risk unless it is granted a reprieve.
Chairman Tom Wood said: “If we do not find a new source of funding this lifeline service will close.
“We ignore what is happening to these men at our peril.
“Thousands live in silence and pain.”
Politicians have demanded Scottish Government assistance. Tory MSP Jeremy Balfour said: “The Scottish Government has for too long neglected funding for services for males – who make up at least a fifth of domestic abuse victims.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Scotland’s new domestic abuse offence is genderneutral and will be available to prosecute abuse committed against both men and women.”
Thousands of men suffer domestic abuse in fear and silence.
Analysis of the latest crime figures show one in five of Scotland’s domestic abuse victims are men. Last year, 58,810 domestic abuse cases were reported to police. Of those, 11,358 victims were men.
While the number of women victims eclipses men, the proportion of males reporting domestic abuse increases with age.
Men are the alleged victims in one in four of domestic abuse police reports involving victims in their 40s.
Over the age of 51 it climbs to one in three, according to Scottish Government figures.
Here, three brave men reveal the stories behind those figures.