Beth* contacted One Front Door in March 2023 and said that her husband was physically abusive, he would destroy things around the house, and that she had to contact the police a few days ago as she was scared that he may seriously hurt her.
They were in a relationship for less than four years and had a baby together. Beth said that the abuse escalated when she gave birth to their baby. Her husband’s family would regularly get involved and make things worse.
After one of many incidents, Beth decided to leave the family home and move in with her mum. She said that she tried to make her marriage work, but the abuse just got worse and worse with each passing year until it got to a point where she had to explain her whereabouts whenever she wanted to leave the house. Beth explained that it wasn’t just her husband who’s been abusive – on one occasion, she was physically attacked by her in-laws as well.
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£8 could buy one pair of fleecy pyjamas for a woman fleeing domestic abuse
When Beth first contacted us, she was living in a house that belonged to both her and her husband and she was worried that she will have to vacate the property, which would leave her and her baby homeless.
We discussed safety concerns with Beth as well as her options including a lock change, installation of a ring doorbell, legal orders: Non-Molestation Order, Occupation Order and Prohibited Steps Order as there was a risk of child abduction.
We agreed with Beth that we will speak to Children Social Care to confirm their involvement and to ensure that she has appropriate support in place.
We have also made an appointment for her with a local family law solicitor to explore her options in more detail.
We kept in touch with Beth over the next few days, and in the meantime, her husband was arrested, and solicitors agreed to take on her case. We provided a legal aid letter to allow her to access free legal service.
Beth needed a few days to process the information and consider her next steps and said that she will reach out to us when she is ready.
We spoke to Beth a few days after the initial contact when she reached out to one of the GP IDVA’s.
Beth was ready to take on full support and have an allocated worker at Staying Put, which we provided within a week.
We completed discussed what support we could give Beth, as well as completing a Needs and Risk Assessment with her. Beth needed emotional support which we provided.
We discussed safety information with Beth as well as making her aware of the services available which enabled her to make informed choices.
Throughout the support, Beth’s and her baby’s safety was paramount ensuring all measures were put in place to safeguard her.
Beth’s worker at Staying Put is supporting her with the ongoing criminal proceedings, as well as child contact proceedings. Staying Put advocates on Beth’s behalf and offers emotional support during their face-to-face appointments.
*Name has been changed
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You can make a difference to women’s lives like Beth, by donating to Staying Put and enabling us to continue supporting people experiencing domestic abuse.