Crimestoppers launch #YouAreNotPowerless campaign to tackle domestic abuse in Swindon
It comes after the charity have seen a spike in people reporting domestic violence during lockdown
The charity Crimestoppers are urging people in Swindon and Wiltshire to speak up anonymously about domestic abuse after receiving a terrifying spike in reports during lockdown.
Crimestoppers intelligence relating to Domestic Abuse increased by 68% for 2019-2020 when compared to the previous year, for Wiltshire and Swindon.
Nationally, they saw a 49% increase in domestic abuse reports, and comparing the past five months (April to August 2020) with the same period last year, they have seen a staggering 70% increase in reports about domestic abuse.
1 in 5 children will witness domestic abuse in their lifetime
The UN has described the worldwide increase in Domestic Abuse as a "shadow pandemic" alongside Covid-19.
A team of professionals working at our UK Contact Centre anonymise all information - to ensure the person giving the details can never be identified - before passing it on to police to investigate and safeguard. Whether it is a neighbour, friend, work colleague or relative, no one will ever know who provided the information.
It’s estimated that a typical victim endures up to 35 assaults before speaking up and that can be for many different reasons; fear of losing their children; fear of losing their home; fear of not being believed; even thoughts that they are somehow to blame for the abuse.
What's the #YouAreNotPowerless campaign about?
The #YouarenotPowerless campaign aims to improve the public’s understanding of what domestic abuse is and who it affects, with the strapline `Not all abuse is physical’.
The Wiltshire and Swindon campaign supports the national Crimestoppers campaign. People are urged to flag up concerns if a friend, neighbour, colleague or family member is suffering in silence.
Crimestoppers are working with the EIDA, which is an umbrella organisation of large and small companies that helps employers take action on domestic abuse, by raising awareness among all employees. Using their network will reach millions of employees and help spread the word.
Regional Manager at the charity Crimestoppers, Emily van der Lely, said:
“Domestic Abuse can be physical, psychological, emotional, sexual or financial. It affects one in four women and one in six men during their lifetime. In too many cases, it results in death with two women murdered by a current or former partner each week.
“We hear heart-breaking stories each and every day from people who are doing the right thing and telling us anonymously when they think domestic abuse is happening. We all need to realise that victims are normally too scared and traumatised to seek help. There was a time when people didn’t know what they could do if they didn’t feel confident in talking to the authorities, but thankfully, those days are over.
“As seen with the shocking rise in reports we received during lockdown and over the past year, more and more people are willing to come forward, confident that we will guarantee their anonymity, that no one will ever know they contacted us. Their information, via our charity, helps law enforcement bring a halt to the abuse and violence in the home. Our message is clear – by working together, being aware and reporting what we know, together we can help put a stop to domestic abuse, we can save lives.”
To report domestic abuse 100% anonymously, visit our website Crimestoppers-uk.org and fill in our simple and secure anonymous online form or call our 24/7 UK Contact Centre on freephone 0800 555 111.