Should I call 101, bruised distressed woman was in garden

[caringdenise009]

My son,20, was home alone making breakfast this morning (could have been 9am,could have been midday). He saw a woman crying,bruised with a black eye outside the kitchen door. She saw him and started gesturing for water. He checked there was noone else in the main bit of the garden ( thought there might be someone who would jump him) before going out and giving her some water and some food.

There's no direct access to our garden- we're mid terrace, spiked six foot iron fence at the bottom and two high fences either side. He asked her if she wanted the police and she panicked and said no,no police. She then went and climbed up the higher fence and jumped over the spiked fence and disappeared,though what she jumped into was a bit of river which is fenced off to the public so I have no idea how she would get out of there,unless she swam across the river to the open public side.

He didn't tell me until I got home from work and he went out straight after that. ( He has major anxiety issues and part of them are about him worrying about me worrying about him).

Given that she left hours ago, is there any point letting the police know? She obviously needs help but I'm not sure that what we have to say will give them anything to go on,so would I be wasting their time?

Yes you should, just to make them aware of situation

Yes of course

Absolutely yes, tell the police.

I would.
If there are further reports of the woman or a woman missing then it could help.

Thanks,will do. Just couldn't decide and really pissed off that he told my partner at the time and he didn't tell him to ring 999. Thought I was over reacting after the fact.

Not sure it merits 999, but sensible to inform the police

Yes I would phone.

Even though it was hours ago, the information you have might be a missing piece of a puzzle of an ongoing police investigation.
For example she could be seriously injured and disorientated and the police are looking for her already.

You mentioned that she would have to swim across a river to get out from the area she jumped into - swimming with a head injury (black eye), this alone would worry me enough to let the police know.

I take it youve checked shes not still on the other side of the fence?

I would say 101 is appropriate now. 999 would have been appropriate at the time so they could have arrived fast enough to speak to the woman so got the help she needed. That said I am sure 101 would put the call across to the emergency handlers is they felt it was right anyway.

Yes this is a 101 call.

Yes, this should be reported to 101.

Very strange that she wanted water and food.

I wonder if she's been sleeping rough?

I would think it is appropriate to call.

Called and it's been logged, they've said someone will call us back. My first thought was that she had escaped from some nightmare situation and not had the response she needed. The way our gardens are I thought she must've just been climbing from garden to garden looking for a way out,so she must've got out of one of the houses in our row. I just can't understand how she physically got there in her state,poor woman I hope she had somewhere safe to go. Son said she wasn't English and I have been told there are brothels around here :(, I wish I had been home.

Did the police give you a reference number, in case you have to chase it up?

Your son should have called them straight away for God's sake...

oh my god this poor woman, could be a sex slave -sex trafficed????

beaten wife, trapped - hurt of course call the bloody police please!!!!think of those poor girls who had to run from captors....!!

Did your 20 year old son not think to dissuade her from climbing over your fence into a river whilst looking injured and distressed?! Or call the police of his own volition. He is an adult, I would be annoyed with him as well as your partner to be honest.

I'd be annoyed at my son as well for not calling calling police at the time and letting the woman climb over a fence into a river.

Police should be notified as this might be a missing person, or someone who is known to them or other official agencies for mental/ physical health concerns etc. Agencies share information on vulnerable persons under safeguarding arrangements these days, so it might be worth bringing the situation to the attention of the police in case it is relevant to an ongoing investigation.

well done op - please chase it up, yes first thoughts are sex trafficed sex slave woman!!!

Police should have been phoned there and then or your son should have offered her in for water and food after checking there was no one else outside.

You mention he has some mental health issues. How is he generally? I don't want to sound unpleasant, but women jumping over six foot fences and swimming through rivers? It all sounds a little improbable. Could he be delusional?

My son,20, was home alone making breakfast this morning (could have been 9am,could have been midday).

Which was it? Surely you asked him?

Did she sit in the garden drinking her water and eating her food, before climbing the high fence and jumping over the spiked fence, and swimming off?

Why didn't she ask to leave through your front door?

if she escaped from somewhere in the street then not leaving via the front door, where she might be seen, would be logical. Noty a good idea but understandable.

That was pretty crap of your son.

True Mip, I assumed she'd come from the garden in the first place as there's no access from the street.