For too many women and children, male violence is a daily reality. About 1.5 million women are victims of domestic abuse each year, and two women a week are killed by a current or former partner in England and Wales. It is vital that women get the support they need to leave abusive relationships. Yet new figures reported in theObserverthis week highlight that thousands of victims of domestic abuse are being turned down for safe accommodation.
Leaving a coercively abusive relationship can be extremely difficult. Women are often cut off from other sources of financial and emotional support by their abusers. They may be economically dependent on their abusive partner as a result of financial control. The point at which a woman leaves an abusive relationship is often one of heightened danger: there is an increase in the risk of violence after separation. While men are also victims of domestic abuse – and it is important that they too can access specialist support – female victims are much more likely to experience repeated and severe forms of abuse, including sexual violence and sustained physical, psychological or emotional abuse, and violence that results in injury or death.
