Charity urges neighbours to call in and report domestic abuse

Wednesday 24th December 2008, 2:29PM GMT.

PEOPLE aware of others who are victims of domestic abuse are being urged to report it.

Crimestoppers, the crime fighting charity, has launched a campaign to coincide with Christmas when tensions at home can come to a head and police are often called to attend domestic incidents. Detective Inspector Ashley Nicholas (pictured) said many people were trapped in relationships and subjected to abuse or violence.

‘Family, friends or work colleagues may be aware of this but somewhat reluctant to approach the police,’ he said.

‘This initiative provides another route by which information can be passed anonymously to the police.

‘Domestic violence is a serious crime which is not acceptable and will be treated as seriously as any other crime by the Guernsey Police.’

The Guernsey Crimestoppers Board is supporting a campaign which has been launched nationally.

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View more: Crime news, Domestic Abuse news.

1
melissa

December 27, 2008 at 3:34 am

As a former sufferer of domestic abuse until the courts helped me to free myself from the cycle i was one of the first to notice when one of my neighbours was suffering the same thing.

There are a lot of people who live close and who could report it but don’t under some un-written “never grass” law apparently. I wished someone had helped me when i was under attack but they didn’t and so I was damned if i was going to sit by and let it happen to someone else but the more calls i make and it’s only my name listed to these reports and no one else reporting and backing me up I find i’m now being treated with disdain by the switchboard operators of the guernsey police and considered a bit of a joke.

It’s all very well encouraging people but the way i’ve been spoken to has put me off reporting anything at all!!!

They say it in public to make themselves look good but in reality too many calls and you’re treated as a joke sadly

I must say that police have always attended but the attitude towards me is far from “thanks for helping.”

When i was a sufferer i didn’t live with the perpetrator of my abuse but i still had children’s board notified and crawling all over me. It wasn’t my fault but they made me feel like it was. The individual i know to be suffering from domestic abuse has never had such contact or follow up and IS living with the perpetrator of the abuse.

It’s almost always drug or alcohol related and again i see no action. I have now resigned myself to putting a pillow over my head and minding my own business sadly.

I only hope the guernsey police are serious about backing this campaign because its a terrifying situation to be in and so many sufferers or witnesses won’t report it tragically. It’s the kids that suffer the most. Support and action needed more from outsiders as if you are in the situation and love the abuser then it is hard to make the first step to stop it.

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