10 women killed by men since lockdown

[BiologyIsReal]

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/04/08/domestic-abuse-victims-can-breach-lockdown-rules-says-police/

Apologies if this has been posted already but I can't see it.

Louisa Rolfe the National Police Chief Council's lead for domestic abuse said abuse victims can break the lockdown if necessary

The paper has a paywall so for those who can't access it, some salient points..

Refuge's National Domestic Abusse Helpline reports a 25% increase in calls since the start of the lockdown.

Since lockdown stsrted 10 women have been killed by men, 5 within marriages. This compares to an average of 3 over the same period in each of the years from 2012 to 2019, according to the femincide census compiled by the charity Nia.

Ms Rolfe, deputy chief constable of West Midlands Police said she was concerned by a fall in calls fro "high risk" cases where victims might be finding it impossible to get out to make a call. However, Refuge said calls through online platforms had doubled, possibly because victims could communicate more discreetly than by phone.

Ms Rolfe said poster and leaflets were being distributed to supermarkets, post offices and pharmacies to direct potential victims to sources of help.

But she said victims could still call 999 and if unable to speak, make any kind of noise and then press 5.They will be logged by police as an emergency.

Thank you for posting.
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Bump

I wonder if @MNHQ could pin some sort of link to the advice about dealing with domestic violence during lockdown at the top of the active threads list?

And the link to free train travel to escape abuser, which is on another thread. I think it's in AIBU

Atm, the free train travel is only ''for journeys starting or ending at a Southeastern or GWR station''

www.womensaid.org.uk/new-rail-to-refuge-scheme-offers-free-train-travel-to-women-fleeing-domestic-abuse/

Theres been a meme going round Facebook describing a coded message a woman could send to someone to indicate they were in trouble. Someone I know posted this along with a link to a news story about the women murdered during lockdown.

I wonder if you could guess what the very first comment was

I bet it was

but men can be victims of domestic abuse too

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Reardon of Merseyside Police, said: ‘Earlier this week we reminded people about the silent call 999 system for vulnerable people living in our communities, including those who suffer from domestic abuse.

‘We completely understand that victims of domestic abuse could be feeling more vulnerable during the current situation we all find ourselves in, but my message to them is please don’t suffer in silence.

‘If you need our help call us and if you can’t make a call as you would ordinarily do, please use the silent call option available to you.’

Silent call is a part of the 999 system which allows people who are not free to speak, but are able to make a noise, to press 55, which alerts the operator to the fact that they need help.

They are then able to connect the call to the police. DCI Reardon added: ‘The system enables all 999 callers to access support in the manner described, but it is important that a noise is made when 55 has been pressed. ‘For example if you can only make noise, such as tapping the handset, coughing, crying or even talking to the offender, then these actions will alert the attention of the operator.

‘We have specially trained officers on hand to offer help and support and to investigate allegations of abuse thoroughly and professionally.’

The police ask anyone in immediate danger to call 999 and speak to an operator but say it is understood that domestic violence victims who are unable to leave households that are self-isolating may not have the option of speaking aloud."

There are lists of supportive services & advice specific to the current circumstances on page 2 of this resource thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3452784-Coercive-Control-a-need-for-better-awareness?pg=2

StillWeRise

Why, indeed it was. However did you guess?

I'm a witch of course

Why, indeed it was. However did you guess?

I guessed too before I saw her post!

you're a witch too

Heard on the news tonight that the number of women murdered per week (in England and Wales, I presume) has risen from two per week to five per week since lockdown.

I don’t even know what to say about this. My heart goes out to every single woman and child not safe in their own home. An utter tragedy.

I could be wrong, but I thought both the bbc news correspondent and Matt Hancock in the covid briefing, both talked about ‘people’ being harmed/killed in DV and neither would say women.

Just watched again and you’re right. BBC correspondent just talked about “killings”. Way to erase the reality.

Sadly this was always going to happen. Shortly after becoming pregnant I finally plucked the courage to leave my partner at the time who was controlling and abusive towards me. I figured even if I maybe deserved it our child certainly did not. He smashed our place up when I told him and when I called the police he quickly scarpered and I've never seen him since. Good riddance. I don't know what I'd do if it was lockdown and he was still living with me.

Now that I am out of it I have come round to the idea of political lesbianism. One of my friends who is attracted to women has been hitting on me for years but I've been thinking of giving it a chance. Even if I don't see any sparks just yet I really like her as a person and I feel so safe around other women so I am excited to see where it goes.

Sorry if i overshared a little, I've been needing a place to vent because of worrying about coronavirus

All very well (and costs no money) saying they're allowed to leave. There needs to be somewhere safe to go though. And a safe means of getting there. DV victims aren't immune from the virus, and some will be in the vulnerable groups and need to self isolate.

Update from Counting Dead Women - the murder rate has tripled;

''At least 16 suspected domestic abuse killings in the UK have been identified by campaigners since the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions were imposed, far higher than the average rate for the time of year, it has emerged.

Karen Ingala Smith, the founder of Counting Dead Women, a pioneering project that records the killing of women by men in the UK, has identified at least 16 killings between 23 March and 12 April, including those of children.

Looking at the same period over the last 10 years, Smith’s data records an average of five deaths.''

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/apr/15/domestic-abuse-killings-more-than-double-amid-covid-19-lockdown

It's horrendous.

I can only imagine the horror of being trapped with a person in this. I escaped an abusive relationship which included violence. I didn't see for a long time what he was like, even though he regularly put his hands around my neck, forced me into sex and attacked me in my sleep. I just couldn't see it. The violence ramped up into a particularly horrible night when I involved the police. I think being trapped in a house with a person like that now would be horrendous.

The newspaper headlines reporting some of these deaths just perpetuate the situation- "man kills wife due to lockdown stress..." er no, he killed wife due to being an abusive violent bastard.