Shropshire Woman

‘Katie’ is 35 and lives in a small picturesque village in South Shropshire. To all around, her life has all the seemingly idyllic trappings – a beautiful renovated black and white cottage, three happy and vibrant children, plus a husband, whose handsome salary ensures that she is free to pursue her hobby of keeping horses and ponies.

But Katie is trapped. What noone, not even her closest relatives and friends know, is that Katie’s husband ‘Roger’ has subjected her to such serious beatings that she has suffered two broken ribs and serious abdominal bleeding in the last six months. Because Roger always makes sure he hits Katie in areas where no one will notice, any stray black eyes can be explained away as a kick from the horse.

And Katie is ashamed that this is happening to her - has she been a bad wife she wonders? Is it somehow her fault? Roger has made sure that Katie’s self-esteem is at rock bottom, and she is frightened of what the future holds. What will happen to the children and her wonderful home and lifestyle if she tells anyone? Will anyone believe her? And can she bear the shame of admitting what’s happening to her? And after all, she does love Roger, and he is her children’s father.

Incidents of domestic abuse account for almost a quarter of violent crime in Telford and Wrekin.

“But that would never happen here” may be the assumption made by many living in Shropshire, or that domestic abuse is an issue that only affects a very small minority – and certainly not here in this glorious county of ours and certainly not on our doorsteps.

How wrong. Domestic abuse, the ‘hidden evil’ is now acknowledged by the Home Office as Britain’s biggest hidden crime. And Shropshire, unfortunately, is no exception.

Domestic violence and abuse pays no regard to a person’s education, race, class, sexuality, religious background, colour, economic or social circumstances. It takes many forms, but usually it’s a pattern of abusive and controlling behaviour and the statistics are sobering:

• Research shows that it affects one in four women in their lifetime.
• Two women a week are killed by their partners or former partners.
• Incidents of domestic abuse account for almost a quarter of violent incidents in Telford and Wrekin.
• On average there will have been 35 assaults before a victim calls the police.
• One incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute. And domestic violence is chronically under -reported.

In Shropshire, this certainly is a problem on our doorstep. It is estimated that over 12,000 women per year in the county will have experienced some form of physical or psychological violence or abuse (study by Stanko et al). However only a small proportion are reported.

over 12,000 women per year in Shropshire will have experienced some form of physical or psychological violence or abuse

According to Detective Inspector Jason Wells, who heads up Shropshire’s Public Protection Unit, the police are called to on average, 120 incidents a month, although holiday times such as Christmas and school holidays provide flashpoints and the police see a marked increase in calls. DI Wells also confirms that alcohol plays a significant part and is a factor in over 50% of all domestic violence offences in Shropshire.

In 2007, a total 181 children have been affected, many of whom may have been subjected to abuse themselves. DI Wells says: “When there are children in the household, many witness the violence that is occurring, and in 80% of cases, they are in the same or the next room. The impact on these children can be devastating.”

What that means for you and me is the sobering thought that when a group of ten women are together – think of how often you find yourself in such a group – with friends socially; at the school gates; on a committee; at work – at least three of them will have been the subject of domestic abuse, and the chances are at least one of them is a victim at this very moment.

So what exactly constitutes domestic abuse? Well, according to the help group Women’s Aid, domestic abuse occurs within an intimate or family-type relationship and forms a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour. Domestic abuse tends to be gender-specific, in that it is overwhelmingly a crime perpetrated by men on women, although men too can be the victims.

In 2006 the Home Office launched an initiative to bring this hidden evil out into the open and address its root causes. They have invested £14 million into tackling the problem and developed a National Action Plan which has been rolled out though the legal system, and developed strategies at local levels.

when a group of ten women are together at least three of them will have been the subject of domestic abuse

In Shropshire, a Police Domestic Abuse Unit has been formed which has a number of specially trained, non-uniformed police officers who can research incidents and reports of abuse, and help and advise victims.

Additionally, a Specialist Domestic Violence Court was launched in 2007 to help smooth the way for victims, and to bring perpetrators to justice in a speedy and dedicated way. Specially trained magistrates and legal advisors, together with dedicated prosecutors sit on a fortnightly basis. The court surroundings have been modified, to ensure that victims of domestic abuse feel safe and supported. Independent and specially trained advisors are available to help victims through the court hearings and after the case. These special court sittings take place in both Shrewsbury and Telford.

So why do people commit offences to people they purport to ove?

bringing this crime into the open, victims will feel more supported as they take the brave steps towards freedom from violence

“My experience in this field is hat officers who deal with incidents f domestic violence can find the xperience difficult to understand - why would a person who claims to love another person, inflict such misery?” DI Wells said. No one can answer these questions – a recurring pattern maybe - they aw it happening when they were hildren and think it’s just the norm.

To try to tackle the root causes, in September, the Shropshire probation service launched the Domestic Abuse Programme, for convicted offenders.

But it’s up to all of us to be aware of this often hidden evil and try to stamp out the suffering. In Shropshire there is heightened awareness through pamphlets targeted at venues likely to be visited by victims.

Emergency women’s refuges, which provide accommodation for women and children, have also raised their profile through listings and enhanced publicity.

In Shropshire, magistrates, police, midwives (a higher proportion of victims are pregnant) health visitors and school nurses have undergone training to raise awareness. It is hoped that by bringing this crime into the open, those agencies who are involved with individuals will be quicker to identify and react to the problem and victims will feel more supported as they take the brave steps towards freedom from violence.

But what’s going on with the victims? Victims of abuse, like Katie, often feel that they perhaps deserve to be treated in the way they are. There are often feelings of shame, denial and failure, and significant financial implications, particularly for welloff victims like Katie who feel they cannot admit what goes on behind closed doors or cannot risk “walking away” for the sake of their children’s financial or educational security.

There is also a real fear of retribution should a victim make a complaint to the police, or a feeling of futility that their claims will not be taken seriously. For this reason, victims need to have confidence in the police and the legal system and understand that there is support for them in place in Shropshire.