The Queen and Domestic Abuse

On Monday 11^th November, ITV released a documentary entitled “Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors” which told the story of several domestic abuse survivors and detailed the Queen’s work to raise awareness about the prevalence of domestic abuse today. This was of interest to our Family Team, who work with domestic abuse victims to secure protection against their abusers.

The hour-long documentary does not shy away from stating the facts when it comes to domestic abuse. One in five adults are estimated to be victims of some form of domestic abuse, with an estimated 2.1 million victims of domestic abuse in 2023 alone. It is further believed that 30 women per day consider suicide because of domestic abuse, and sadly, three women per week do take their own lives.

However, it remains that there is a culture of silence and shame about the issue, with many victims too afraid or ashamed to come forward about their experience to receive help. The documentary points out that so far in 2024, the police have received a call about domestic abuse every 30 seconds, but it is estimated that less than 24% of incidents are reported. Sharon Baker, a senior police officer with the Avon and Somerset Police detailed her experience as a victim of domestic abuse in the documentary, stating that she only realised she was in an abusive relationship when reading about other people’s experiences online. One of the main aims behind the documentary is to break the stigma surrounding abuse so as to encourage people to reach out for help.

Whilst the documentary primarily focuses on female victims of domestic abuse, it makes it clear that men can also be victims of abuse. Sir Patrick Stewart speaks candidly on the programme about his experiences of domestic abuse from his father as a child, and details an altercation between his mother and father. At the time, the police treated it as a domestic incident, and said to the young Patrick Stewart that it took two people to cause an argument, seemingly trivialising the argument. This highlights the type of attitude that the programme seeks to combat.

Of course, domestic abuse does not only mean physical abuse. Coercive control, economic abuse and love bombing are all forms of domestic abuse a survivor-victim may be subjected to, and the documentary explores this. You can read our article here for more information about love bombing.  The documentary tells the story of Joanna Simpson, who never experienced physical abuse but did receive threats and coercive and controlling behaviour from her abuser. Sadly, her abuser killed her, highlighting that non-physical forms of abuse are no less serious than physical ones.

The documentary does explore the changes the law has made in relation to domestic abuse over the years, from the establishment of civil law remedies for domestic abuse victims first made available through the Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1971, to marital rape being made illegal in 1991. Coercive control became a criminal offence for the first time under the Serious Crime Act 2015, and domestic abuse was first formally defined in English Law under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

Nevertheless, further work is required in order to ensure victims feel comfortable and are able to come forward. For example, under current legislation, no person under the age of 16 can be a victim of domestic abuse – they are instead a victim of child abuse. However, it is estimated that 25% of girls between 13 – 17 have experienced the use of physical force in a relationship. Following the murder of 15-year-old Holly Newton by her ex-boyfriend, the home secretary Yvette Cooper announced that the government would revisit the age at which a person can be a victim of domestic abuse.

The programme does point out that there are options available to victims to help them escape their situation. The Queen visits a refuge where victims of domestic abuse may flee to in order to find safe accommodation. There are also civil remedies such as Non-Molestation Orders and Occupation Orders a person may obtain to prevent contact between an abuser and their victim, which is something the Family Team at Johnson Astills may help you to obtain.

If you are, or believe yourself to be, at risk or a victim of abuse from a partner or family member, please contact the Family Team at our office in Leicester on 0116 255 4855 or our office in Loughborough on 01509 610 312 and ask to speak to a member of the Family Team. Alternatively, you may prefer to email us at legal@johnsonastills.com or fill in our enquiry form.