Charlotte Clarke, a children’s behaviour specialist, was abused by her partner for years. When she was pregnant he threw her against a wardrobe, and her waters broke, forcing her into early labour. Six days later, she walked back into the hospital after he tried opening her C-section with a kitchen knife after she tried phoning the police. That’s when she knew it had to end.
As part of our 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, Charlotte shares her experience of domestic abuse and, most importantly, how she brought herself to escape. Looking back, she still wonders how she became someone who would ‘tolerate’ abuse — as if victims ever have a choice. She now recognises that abuse begins at the thinnest end of the wedge, but it isn’t until you reach the thick edge that you realise what’s happening...
