Excerpt from itv.com. Written by Charlotte Cross.
A number of charities who deal with domestic abuse and violence have raised concerns about the safety of people living in abusive situations.
The latest police figures show that in the East Midlands, there were 54,615 domestic abuse-related crimes in the 12 months ending in March 2019.
In the West Midlands, it was 71,827.
The Haven Wolverhampton told ITV Central that staff had actually seen a drop in calls since Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the lockdown last week – and fear that’s symptomatic of how victims, most of whom are women, are unable to get away even to make a phone call to ask for help or support.
“We’re very concerned,” Pamilerin Beckley, who deals with the stories of people who use the service, said.
“Women are isolated in situations which could be extremely dangerous to them. Some are living with the perpetrator, and they can’t get out. That is a major concern for us.
“You can imagine if you’re sitting right there, with someone who’s threatening to do harm to you, when do you get out to call the helpline?”
Her concerns have been echoed by the chief executive of Staffordshire Women’s Aid, Dickie James.
