Support for domestic abuse sufferers online

Local police have launched new webpages to help anyone suffering from domestic abuse.

To get to the pages, all you have to do is select ‘E District’, which covers Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon and Newry and Mourne or ‘Banbridge’ on the drop-down menu on the PSNI homepage and then click ‘Domestic Abuse’ on the menu on the right.

The pages provide plenty of info such as what domestic abuse is, what friends and family can do to help people they suspect may be victims and who can help if you think you are being abused.

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PSNI have incorporated a red ‘panic’ button which loads a google page up on top of the PSNI page but beware, the PSNI website remains open behind. Instructions on how to erase your browsing history have also been included on the ‘cover your tracks’ tab.

Inspector David Hutchinson, E District Public Protection Unit, explained: “The District has been working very hard over a number of years in tackling Domestic Abuse and supporting victims. There is a real commitment to assisting victims, reducing offending and bringing perpetrators to justice.

“We have been working with our partner agencies for a long time to find new ways of helping victims and encouraging people to come forward and seek help. It was evident from discussions with our Domestic Abuse Officers and other agencies that information is crucial and providing details of how a victim can get help could be the first step in helping someone out of a situation they don’t want to be in.”

One service user who gave the new pages a test said: “As a survivor of domestic abuse I welcome this resource as a step towards educating victims, families and society about this complex issue which is often misunderstood. I hope that victims viewing this website will be more likely to take the courageous step to seek help.”

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Service Delivery Superintendent for E District, Simon Walls added: “No one has to suffer abuse. We are here to help, to provide support and to ensure that those who abuse are made amenable for their actions. We are continually working with our partners to find more ways of helping victims to escape the cycle they sometimes find themselves in. If these web pages encourage even one victim to seek help then they are a success.”

The Southern Area Domestic Violence Partnership hopes to bring together a shared website where all statutory and support agencies can provide support.

Police can be contacted on the 101 non-emergency number or 999 in an emergency.