Liza Gatrell examines the rise in domestic abuse – and how to seek help
March 2020 seems like a lifetime ago, yet I am sure many of us can picture precisely where we were when we heard the announcement that schools would be closing, and we must stay at home.
For some, home working and furlough was welcomed – but sadly not everyone views their home as a safe place. Domestic abuse charities, such as Women’s Aid, immediately raised concerns about the devastating impact of lockdown on those affected by abuse.
The statistics
At the start of the pandemic, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that in mid-May 2020, there was a 12 per cent increase in the number of domestic abuse cases being referred to victim support.
There was also a 65 per cent incr...
