Domestic Abuse: The Shadow Pandemic

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Since the Covid-19 lockdown, there has been a sharp rise in reports of domestic abuse. The head of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, declared that violence against women and girls is a “shadow pandemic” during the wider coronavirus crisis, as while we are all confined to our homes, cases of domestic violence can far more easily go undetected.

In England alone, 831,000 children and young people are experiencing domestic abuse at home.

The Covid-19 lockdown has made it all the more difficult for those suffering from domestic violence to get the help they need and in many cases, to escape their abuser, who they may be forced to be in lockdown or isolate with.

There are many charities out there that can help anyone suffering from any form of domestic abuse, be it physical, emotional, sexual or financial. These charities can help by providing shelter and accommodation so that victims can leave their home and get away from an abuser, or to simply have someone to talk to and get emotional support from.

The following is a list of charities in the Leicestershire Area that can help if you are suffering from Domestic Abuse:

For other areas of the UK, you can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on: 0808 2000 247 or via their website. Please ensure that you call 999 if you are in an emergency.

Johnson Astills have a skilled and dedicated Domestic Violence team that are able to assist with all types of domestic abuse, ranging from physical, psychological, sexual and financial abuse.

The remedies that we are able to provide are:

Warning Letters – in some cases a warning letter to the perpetrator of abuse explaining that legal action will be taken if their abusive behaviour does not cease may be sufficient to resolve the matter.

Non-Molestation Orders – a ‘Non-Mol’ is an injunction granted by the court that prevents an abuser from contacting you, harming you or coming near you or your home, if they breach the order then they can be arrested by the police.

Occupation Orders – an occupation order is an injunction granted by the court that sets out who has the right to stay in the family home and who should be excluded.

If you feel that one or more of these options available can help you, please give us a call at your local branch in Leicester or Loughborough or fill in our online enquiry form and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.

Due to the sensitive nature of domestic violence related enquiries, we will not leave voicemails if we are unable to contact you.