The Charity Refuge has confirmed that The National Centre for Domestic Violence has already seen a 25% increase in calls and online enquiries to their service.
In just two weeks the centre has seen their calls double by the hundreds.
They confirmed further that visits to the UK-wide National Domestic Abuse Helpline website had increased by 150% compared to the last week of February
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52157620
Unfortunately, with the current pandemic and the country in a subsequent lockdown, victims are feeling more isolated than ever and potentially trapped in the house with their abuser for days at a time with little to no contact with the outside world.
Domestic abuse agencies believe that this increase will only get worse as social distancing regulations remain in place and possibly become tighter over the coming weeks.
Initially there were concerns that calls to the services had dropped dramatically and it was feared that victims felt that due to the current crisis that there would be no support available which is not the case.
It is important for victims to remember that the police are still operating and they still need to report any incidents to them and also seek support from domestic abuse agencies. As before if someone feels they are in immediate danger they must call 999.
It is important to remember that domestic abuse does not just relate to physical violence but an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour including sexual violence.
At Tozers there is no change to our working practices save that we cannot see you face to face. We continue to assist and support victims of domestic abuse and obtain protective injunctions on their behalf.
The family courts remain open and can deal with injunction applications quickly and effectively.
If you need any advice or support please do not hesitate to contact us on 01626 207020 or fill out an enquiry form on our website or email enquiries@tozers.co.uk
