Over the coming months, Mancunian Matters will be publishing a series of articles exploring the experience of women who have survived domestic abuse.
What could you do in 30 seconds? Not a lot… pour a glass of water? Turn the television on?
Think about how short that time is. Then consider that on average, according to Refuge, police in the UK receive a domestic abuse related call every 30 seconds.
In 2023, Greater Manchester Police dealt with over 67,500 reports of domestic abuse and saw a 21% increase in arrests compared to the previous year.
The issue of domestic abuse is shrouded in misunderstanding and stigma. Victims are followed around with questions of ‘Why didn’t you just leave?’, comments of ‘I’d never let someone do that,’ and looks of sympathy with a slight hint of disbelief and suspicion.
Refuge say it is a fact that it takes a victim, on average, seven attempts before they leave for good – they say that ‘leaving an abusive partner is a process, not a single act’.
This is an issue that has become more and more widely debated and discussed in society. From conversations with friends to top government levels. It’s an issue which will be experienced by one in four women in their lifetime.
And yet… it’s an issue that is misunderstood constantly and often forgets the victim. Too often, domestic abuse is spoken about in numbers and graphs and anonymous data while the people affected don’t get to share their story.
Over the coming months, Mancunian Matters will publish a series of articles featuring the real, lived experiences of Mancunian women who have survived domestic abuse.
Also in the series, a first-hand piece of my own experiences as a child who witnessed domestic abuse and the lasting effects it had on my life.
Remaining focused on their experiences while committing to explain the landscape of these crimes in our city, the series aims to clear up the misconceptions and identify the answers to the most asked questions.
This page will be updated below with the publication of each piece and will be a central hub for those wishing to follow the series.
The pieces in this series have now been published as follows:
Growing up and moving on: How my dad’s abuse impacted my life – Mancunian Matters
Feature image by Ryan Holloway via Pexels
