DOMESTIC ABUSE EVERY 11 MINUTES

ABUSE is taking place in a home in Wales every 11 minutes. The startling figures, obtained from our police forces in Wales – South Wales Police, Gwent Police, Dyfed-Powys Police, North Wales Police – show that on average there were 129 domestic abuse incidents every day in the country last year.

New Year’s Day had the highest number of incidents, meaning 275 people spent the first day of the new year as a victim of domestic violence or intimidation.

The day after Halloween – Sunday, November 1 – saw approximately 50% more incidents than average.

Weekends saw more domestic abuse than weekdays.

A spokeswoman from Wales Women’s Aid said around 50,000 women in Wales experience domestic abuse each year from a current or former partner.

Last year alone, Wales’ 24-hour Live Fear Free Helpline, support- ing anyone experiencing domestic abuse and sexual violence, received more than 28,000 calls.

The spokeswoman said: “Domestic abuse is a serious crime which leads to, on average, two women a week being killed by a partner or ex-partner.

“It involves a pattern of controlling behaviour. Women might not always feel able to speak out about their abuse. This can include patterns of isolation, such as being kept from friends and family; mental cruelty; being prevented from working or having their money tightly con- trolled.

“The majority of women accessing domestic abuse services experience coercive control but many don’t feel they can report until they have a physical injury.

“The under-reporting of domestic abuse is known to be acute, so the data from reported incidents of domestic violence to police is not representative of the far greater estimated prevalence of domestic abuse.”

Contact the Live Fear Free Helpline on 0808 80 10 800 for 24-hour, confidential information and support.