MPs demand urgent action on domestic violence after surge in calls to helpline

Trapped in lockdown with your abuser – the reality of life for victims of domestic violence.

Now a cross-party group of MPs is calling for urgent action from the Government to tackle the growing number of domestic abuse cases since coronavirus restrictions in movement began.

In a report published today, the Home Affairs Select Committee warns that,  like other countries across the world, the  UK is seeing a rise in domestic violence with calls to the abuse charity helpline run by Refuge, up by 49 per cent.

Last year the Committee highlighted a shortage in beds at refuges  with 64 per cent of referrals turned away between 2018 – 2019 – now they say the pressure is even greater.

The campaign Counting Dead Women says that 14 women and two children were killed in the first three weeks of lockdown – double that of

an average 21 day period in the last decade.

Earlier we spoke to Rachel Williams – who was almost killed when her estranged husband shot her with a sawn off shotgun after years of abuse. She now campaigns on behalf of victims of domestic violence