Constituency Matters

Councillor Gary Malcolm, Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Ealing

I have talked about how the lockdown can lead to boredom and mental health issues but this week we saw domestic abuse come to the forefront of our mind.

The National Domestic Abuse Helpline saw a 25% increase in calls and domestic abuse charities saw a threefold increase in activity recently.

Liberal Democrats condemn domestic abuse but more people than we think suffer from it. So, what is domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse is an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behavior, including sexual violence. The majority of cases are by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer. Although the majority of cases are experienced by women, according to government (Office of National Statistics) figures 34% men suffer from this too. This is particularly alarming as sufferers have nowhere to go, or family to turn to, during this difficult lockdown period.

The TV presenter Victoria Derbyshire displayed the domestic abuse helpline number on her hand during the news segment, giving a silent message on how victims, trapped at home in the lockdown, can get help.

If you are experiencing abuse, please do not suffer in silence. Please call The National Domestic Violence Helpline 0808 2000 247 (helpline open 24 hours a day). The helpline can also offer advice and support residents with accessing a refuge where appropriate.

I spoke to senior management of Ealing Council this week on this and I was told the council is “monitoring closely, and domestic abuse charities will be risk assessing and referring where necessary – I therefore expect the cases will increase.”

If you, a neighbour or a friend are in immediate danger (or if you are in doubt), please call 999. If it is difficult to make a call without your voice being heard, then you can make a silent call to the police by calling 999 from a mobile phone and then press 55. When transferred to your local police force, the police call handler will attempt to communicate with you by asking simple yes or no questions.

If the case is considered to be non-emergency, then you are encouraged to report to the local police team by calling 101. If you are experiencing domestic abuse and are able to leave, you can report directly in person at Acton police station, where there is a co-located Independent Domestic Violence Advocate who can provide support.