Domestic abuse
In England and Wales, one in four women experience domestic abuse during their lifetime. Every week two women in the UK are killed by a current or former partner and three die by suicide due to domestic abuse. Thousands more suffer in silence.
For so many survivors of domestic abuse, legal protection is out of reach. That may be due to a lack of funding, an overly complex legal system or, often, the terrifying prospect of facing their abuser in court. Many of these individuals have no choice but to return to life-threatening relationships.
Domestic abuse is a complex issue, it is no longer simply viewed through the lens of physical violence alone but it includes control, coercion, emotional and psychological abuse as well as economic abuse, stalking and harassment. For many survivors the journey to escaping their abuser can be long and difficult. They may 'stay for the children' or because they see no economic alternative or are fearful of losing their home or how the relevant authorities may react to them reaching out. It can take years for these individuals to break free and it always takes great courage for them to do so. That courage merits support, regardless of economic or immigration status, which DARA aims to provide.