Just called the police to a teenage girl getting beaten up

[effingmarie]

I've just called 999 and feel like I didn't step in like I should.

There's been a pair of young drunk people arguing on our road for the past 10 minutes, there's a kids play park on our street where teens congregate in the dark to smoke/muck about, it's not unusual to hear a bit of late night teen pissing about.

Tonight a couple who sound late teens and pretty drunk have been shouting out there for a bit, which suddenly escalated to him shouting at her, her screaming don't touch me, please let me go, that hurts, etc, and him calling her a cheating slag. I heard a couple of slaps or something so I shouted out the window that I'd called the police, then dialled 999 and reported a young woman being beaten. They've sent a car. The couple sound like they've moved down the road, I heard her running.

I feel like I should have gone out there to ask if she was ok/to tell him to pack it in, but I was too scared. He sounded really scary. Hopefully she got home ok or the police stopped him.

Wtf do you do? My DH is out, I'm home alone, I was worried for the girl, but do you physically step in in these situations? I'm 5ft 2, I'm not tough. I phoned the police as soon as I heard her being hit but I feel bad.

Would you have called her into your house? I'm scared of repercussions in this area, car being smashed up/windows being put in. That's happened down the road when a neighbor complained about the loud mopeds some of the youngsters rev about on.

Poor girl.

I called the police on a domestic violence incident a few years ago and ended up with a lump of concrete through my window a couple days later, so it scares me getting involved.

Omg op that sounds awful.

First rule in an emergency situation is don't make yourself a casualty- you did what you could without putting yourself in danger.

I am sure that girl will thank you- sounds horrible.

You did exactly what you should have.

There's no way you should have put yourself in physical danger.

Thank you. It's horrible isn't it. I could hear her getting hit, but I didn't want to put myself in the middle of it and ended up knocked out or my car smashed by an angry bloke for interfering.

Hope the girl is ok. I saw a couple of the opposed neighbors curtains twitching so I wonder if they called the police too. I was kind of hoping the huge built builder over the road would go out or something.

It's pluralised responsibility isn't it. When nobody does anything because they all hope someone else would step in.

I would have done the same op.

Driving home from work one night I saw a lad getting a kicking. I pulled right onto the path and shouted him in. Then took him home.
Felt a real Superhero!!
You did the right thing op.

I’m always on on my own, and as much as I want to intervene in things like this, I’ve a child with no other parent and no grandparents in the country. If I get injured, we’re a bit stuffed.

So on the couple of occasions I’ve been
present for things like this I have openly witnessed. One was a parking argy bargy between a young man and an old guy who looked none to steady on his feet. I got out of my car and openly watched them. Didn’t even say anything. They both blustered a bit more and stormed off their separate ways, presumably they were both prepared to do something stupid, but not with a witness. Another argument between a young girl and man on the street looked nasty. I stopped the car and stayed in it, but held up my phone to film them (the police arrived then, so no need for anything further). I read up on it later, and apparently it’s quite a powerful tool to diffuse a situation.

In this instance, I think I’d have obviously filmed from an upstairs window, but if I was worried about the girl being more seriously injured I’d have invited her in. I read the thing to do is engage with the victim in a neutral way and not engage with the attacker at all, but I’ve never actually tried it and would probably have forgotten all about in a pinch. I hope everyone’s ok.

About 15 years ago, a teenage girl was being attacked by a group of teens so I went out to help whilst my OH called the police. I was a witness in the trial, but wasn't needed in the end.

The girl thanked me for helping until the police arrived.

I have stepped in in the past when a teenage lad was getting beaten up by a group of lads, but I am tall and they didn't look threatening. In the circumstances you have described, I would have done exactly what you did. It wasn't safe for you to do anything else and as others have said, the first rule in this type of situation is that you don't put yourself in danger but you do call for help. Good for you for having a conscience, OP.

I would’ve done the same, especially if DC were home with me.

Don't feel bad.
You did all you could.

I've been in that position before and called the police, then banged on a few doors and got them to go with me to make sure the young woman was ok.

Turn a hose on them!

Even police officers try to avoid attending domestic disputes on their own because these are some of the most dangerous situations they have to deal with. You were absolutely right in what you did. Well done.

I live next door to a pub and it's also a well used road at home time from other pubs. I have been known to stick my head out of my window and tell people to move on because I don't want to hear their noise. Once a young man was being nasty to his girlfriend and I stuck my head out and told him to stop being nasty and her that she deserved someone better.
I have also stuck my phone out and told people I'd ring the police if they didn't move on.
The only time I've had problems was when I told a group of kids that I didn't want to listen to their music. That was fun, I listened to what they were saying and replied. They egged my flat.
I would never go out and confront someone, I'm not strong enough to cope with the consequences.

what you did was fine I would never get directly involved I’ve heard of people doing this and getting stabbed so I would only ever call the police.

You did do something, op, you telephoned the police and they arrived in a car. I honestly don't think you could have done more on your own. Well done you. I hope the girl is all right and the police have taken some action against the chap.

There was an awful incident a couple of years ago. An elderly neighbour using a walking stick to walk came out to intervene when a neighbour was beating the crap out of his wife outside their houses. He took the stick off her and beat them both to death. Terrible world we live in. You did the best you could.