More than half of women in the UK are unaware of a potentially life-saving emergency helpline for domestic abuse victims who are too frightened to speak out loud, a new study has revealed.
Some 53 per cent of women and 49 per cent of Britons were not familiar with the “999-55” silent lifeline, which connects victims to an operator aware that the caller is unable to summon help.
Women’s Aid has now launched a campaign, The Ignored Emergency, spotlighting domestic abuse as a public safety crisis and underscoring the life-or-death stakes of the insidious crime.
It comes as The Independent continues its Brick by Brick campaign, in partnership with the leading domestic abuse charity Refuge, to raise funds to build two houses for women and children escaping abusive partners.
The initial £300,000 target was surpassed thanks to generous donations from readers. More than £500,000 in donations have flooded in so far, and plans are already underway for a second home.
Be a brick, buy a brick and donate here or text BRICK to 70560 to donate £15
Emma Armstrong, chief executive of I Choose Freedom which runs 12 domestic abuse refuges across Surrey, has told The Independent about the emotional, physical, financial and sexual abuse she suffered from her ex-partner.
“I thought it was love that he wanted to know where I was, what I was wearing, who I was seeing, what I was doing,” she said.
The 35-year-old recalled trying to escape the relationship several times but explained he would always use coercive control to keep her trapped with him.
One time when she tried to leave him, she said he physically attacked her: “He threw me out the bed, he smashed my phone against the wall; that was the seventh phone I had in that relationship. I had no way of calling for help.”
Have you been affected by this story? Email maya.oppenheim@independent.co.uk in confidence
Ms Armstrong said it was an honour to now be able to support survivors in her role as a domestic abuse charity head.
“You see a family and survivor come in,” she added. “They are very broken, they are in a very difficult time of their life, and they do their journey with us and they leave at the end happy, safe, smiling, looking forward to their future and with hope.”
Silence can speak volumes, and this is one instance where that is particularly true. Society must come together and recognise domestic abuse as the emergency it is, equipped with the knowledge needed to stand up and protect lives
According to research which sought to emphasise the prevalence of domestic abuse, women are twice as likely to die at the hands of a partner than from smoke or gas inhalation, and over three times more likely to be killed by a partner than from not wearing a seatbelt.
The ”Silent Solution” system was created as a silent lifeline for situations like domestic abuse where immediate help is required but it is too dangerous for the victim to speak.
Women’s Aid polled over 2,200 people and found that more than half of women and 49 per cent of Britons were unaware of the phone line.
If callers press 55 after ringing 999, the call operator transfers the call to the local police who can then find out the victim’s location, enabling individuals to receive urgent support and potentially save lives.
In recent years, an average of between two and three women have been killed by a current male partner or ex-partner every week in England and Wales.
Sarah Hill, chair of Women’s Aid, said: “Silence can speak volumes, and this is one instance where that is particularly true. Society must come together and recognise domestic abuse as the emergency it is, equipped with the knowledge needed to stand up and protect lives.”
Michelle Griffith-Robinson, an ex-Olympic triple jumper and ambassador for the charity, said she hoped the campaign and the “powerful films that have been created as part of it, will be a real eye-opener for our society”.
Please donate now to the Brick by Brick campaign, launched by ‘The Independent’ and the charity Refuge, to help raise £300,000 to build a safe space for women where they can escape domestic abuse, rebuild their lives and make a new future
Anyone who requires help or support can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline which is open 24/7 365 days per year on 0808 2000 247 or via its website
You can donate to the Women’s Aid’s campaign here
