I survived domestic abuse horror,please don’t suffer in silence
A Paisley woman has bravely shared her story of surviving domestic abuse in a BBC documentary.
Carolyn Quinn suffered 27 years of severe violence and rapes that started when she was four months pregnant.
Later, her son Adam was also regularly attacked by his father, Carolyn’s ex-husband, Kenneth Quinn.
Carolyn has told her story in a bid to encourage women to seek justice if they find themselves subjected to domestic abuse.
The NHS manager reported Quinn to police in 2021. Two-and-a-half years later, he stood trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
Quinn, of Elderslie, was convicted of a total of 10 charges following a harrowing trial. This included two counts of repeatedly raping Carolyn, assaulting her to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement as well as engaging in abusive behaviour.
He was further guilty of physically attacking Adam to his injury on various occasions.
The crimes occurred between 1994 and 2021 at addresses in Paisley and the Scottish Borders.
Carolyn told the Express: “When I first spoke to Victim Support and the procurator fiscal, they did say that there was a backlog of cases. But I didn’t expect it to be this lengthy.
“In a way, that’s a sentence in itself that I’ve served.
“It’s very much back to the stage of the feelings when you’re being abused. You lose control of things. And all you’re doing is waiting for that phone call.”
The physical abuse involved Quinn smacking Carolyn with a dog lead and shoes as well as kicking her downstairs, booting her on the body and chucking food at her.
Quinn was sentenced to 15 years in prison in January and made the subject of a lifelong non-harassment order, preventing him from ever contacting Carolyn.
For Carolyn, the sentence marked a huge milestone in her recovery journey.
Standing on the steps outside the court, flanked by a close friend and her Rape Crisis support worker, she said: “I say to other people, please come forward, please don’t suffer in silence.
“I’ve been there. I know what it’s like and it’s horrific. When you leave them you know there’s a difficult journey in front. But the outcome at the end is worth it. It’s worth it. I am free. I was in utter hell for years. At one point I thought I was drowning. But I’m not. I am here and I’m standing.”
Carolyn is one of seven women whose journey through the justice system feature in the BBC Scotland Disclosure documentary entitled Surviving Domestic Abuse.
Another survivor who features is
Lauren Hardie who was assaulted by her boyfriend.
The 24-year-old nurse was left with bite marks, bruising on her arms, shoulder and eye, and with many of the contents of her flat left smashed to pieces after an attack in 2020.
Frustrated by court delays, Lauren posted videos online of an incident she had secretly recorded on her phone.
Lauren’s ex-partner was later “admonished” for his crimes – meaning he was verbally warned not to offend again.
The sentence, which carries no other penalty, was passed after he pleaded guilty to pushing Lauren, holding her down by the wrists, shouting, swearing and destroying property at her home.
His guilty plea resulted in two other charges being dropped.
Almost 12,500 admonishments have been given as a sentence for domestic abuse over the past five years in Scotland.
Lauren said: “I felt there was really no punishment through the justice system.”
Dr Emma Forbes, national lead for domestic abuse at the crown office and procurator fiscal service (COPFS), said: “Victims of domestic abuse have shown courage to report crimes of violence and coercive control. By sharing their experiences, the prevalence of violence against women and girls and harmful behaviours can be made more visible.
“The COPFS takes a robust approach to the investigation of domestic abuse, including a presumption in favour of prosecution.”
Disclosure: Surviving Domestic Abuse aired on BBC One Scotland last night but is available on BBC iPlayer.
I was in utter hell for years. At one point I thought I was drowning, but I am here and standing Carolyn Quinn