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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Coercive control

10 replies

rmummyofone · 21/10/2022 12:25

Has anyone reported it and gotten far?

I've left now, he divorced me out of the shame of not wanting to change his ways.

I'm completely heartbroken & don't understand why I miss someone so toxic for me. It's his birthday today I suppose I'm remember the last 5 I had spent with him.

We met when we were 18/20. He was every green flag and more, things were great. He'd support my dreams and goals etc too. After we got married he changed. I'm Muslim, he wanted me to cover my face and when I'd say no he'd argue with me so much and so aggressively (not physically) that I eventually gave in and just stopped. I fell pregnant soon into the marriage, he cheated on me while pregnant (of course with girls online who we're definitely not covered) he manipulated me using religion to make me wear it, I have some screenshots of texts with these arguments.

After that he became coercive with sex. I didn't recognise this at the time, he'd use religion to pressure me into it, saying he loves me so much he just wants more babies with me so no need for contraception. I pushed and did go on one which sadly didn't agree with me well at all so stopped. His online cheating continued and I grew more and more empty. I could only have a job if he approved of it, (like teaching at the mosque part time) financially I was dependent on him so couldn't afford to learn to drive either. When my friend would come round he'd always sit with us. When his friends would come over I'd have to leave the house and go to a neighbour.

I have evidence of him texting me religious scripture to manipulate me into feeling guilty for rejecting sex, our relationship didn't make me feel emotionally connected or safe which I now recognise is why I had such a low sex drive, he would make me feel like I'm punishing him. I have a video where he's pestering me about having another baby and he's saying "you always have an excuse" "you keep denying me" "you delay it every month"

I have screenshots of texts where he's making me feel bad if I say I don't want to cover by saying "I don't want to be here anymore" "what face will I have to show outside" "I'm so ashamed" I never promised I'd wear it I just said I'd try. I have texts where he's saying "this is about that stupid job isnt it"

I have friends who noticed me distance. He was good with my family he always put an act on around them, showing the guy I fell for so I loved being around him around my family. The only thing my mum noticed is I used to hardly call or text her. But in person would be fine so she wouldn't question it.

I mentioned I went for counselling last summer as I truly believed my low sex drive was my fault. Counsellor noticed some controlling behaviour and tried to intervene with finances to which he didn't take heed. Neither could I have support with the contraception issue.

I posted on here last year about feeling the pressure to have a baby, I don't know if that counts as evidence? I did give in and fell pregnant in Jan this year and lost the baby in March, after March he changed. He started going out a lot lot more while I'd be home with the baby, who's now 2.5. He'd be on the phone til 3am, whenever I'd go downstairs he'd pretend to be asleep, I found certain contacts on his phone escorts etc. At that point he started giving me silent treatment anytime I'd approach a counsellor for help or my family. Even his own family tried to support me he took no heed.

In July this year he coerced me into sex with him one night distracting me from something I found on his phone I couldn't say no as I knew it would cause a huge argument

Neighbours noticed me not leaving the house much and losing weight rapidly.

He would threaten me saying he has inappropriate videos of me on his phone and he will "out" me to my uncle and dad. Disgracing me. I don't think I ate for 3 weeks at all, I couldn't look after the house as well as usual to which he took pics and humiliated me for it sending to my uncle that we live in a pinstigh when in reality I was suffering so much mentally.

August 4th I left but still wasn't aware this was abusive behaviour.. I have reported this but I feel afraid I don't have enough proof.

OP posts:
DancingWithYourDog · 22/10/2022 20:13

OP I’m so sorry you’ve been through this. He sounds like a vile abusive excuse for a man. I would suggest having a chat with Womens Aid, they should be able to talk through your options with you or signpost you to someone locally who can support you better whatever you decide to do. Good luck xx

rmummyofone · 22/10/2022 20:19

@DancingWithYourDog thank you so much for your kind words

OP posts:
jannier · 22/10/2022 20:26

Have you contacted the domestic abuse helpline line....it is DA and there is help.....by the way he raped you coercing to have sex is rape married or not.
You've been brave and left well done I hope your family are supporting you. Take care you've been so brave it will get better

rmummyofone · 22/10/2022 20:46

@jannier yes it took a lot for me to leave but he divorced me anyway
Thank you for your kind words though

OP posts:
ThatAussieGuy · 23/10/2022 01:27

I'm glad this jerk has moved on. Yes, he was controlling you all along. No, the cops are useless. ACAB. My suggestion is that you move on with your life and cut him off instead of letting him stay at the centre.

The issue with the rape is it's his word against yours. I know some awesome muslim guys but religion is often used as an excuse to control women, christians too. I'm sorry for everything he did to you and I hope you go on to find happiness, however that looks for you

rmummyofone · 23/10/2022 10:59

@ThatAussieGuy thank you for responding
what is ACAB?

Are you based in the uk? Coercive control is a crime here since 2015.

OP posts:
LunaMoon21 · 11/02/2023 05:20

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ as spam.

Moobae · 12/02/2023 05:27

Reported and it got “lost” twice although I did it online with reference numbers, took a lot for me to write what he did, never bothered to report again, he is likely going his behaviour to some other woman, hopefully ger report won’t get “lost”

Zanatdy · 12/02/2023 06:09

You could report it. But I think the best thing to do is to move on, live your best life and be happy.

Watchkeys · 12/02/2023 12:18

Your while post is about him. You wanting to report him is about him.

Think about you. What do you want to change about your life? What would you prefer to be thinking about this morning? What does your dream life look like? What are you doing towards it today?

Transfer your thinking from him to you. Your life isn't centred around him, what he does, who he is, what he's like, what he did. Your life is about you, and you are in charge of making sure that you are the main focus. By all means, dedicate a certain amount of time per day/week/month to trying to work through the 'him' stuff. Contact Women's Aid. Get a counsellor. Take professional advice.

But once you have focussed on him for that small proportion of your time, move on to something about you. Otherwise more of your life will vanish in swathes, and you'll look back in a few years and say 'It's like I didn't even exist during that time', and it may already feel like that? You have to make yourself exist as an independent identity from him and what he did for you. Even if all that that identity does today is to go for a walk for half an hour in a place that you choose.

Focus on rmummyofone.

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