Considering the long-standing issue of abusive relationships throughout the UK, Sussex police have written a Facebook post to encourage people to see the warning signs. Eve Whitcombe reports.
On the 4th of April Sussex police posted this image:
The caption read, “when you start a relationship, it’s natural to spend a lot of time with your new partner.”
“But if your partner demands all of your time and gets excessively jealous when you’re not with them – this is not okay.”
“ if something feels ‘off’, trust your instincts. We can tell you if your partner/date has a history of controlling or abusive behaviours through a free and confidential scheme called Clare’s Law.”
Clare’s law was introduced in 2014 following a woman, Clare Wood, being murdered by her abusive ex partner in 2009. This law is also known as the ‘Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme’ which essentially allows people to check the backgrounds of people they are dating or in a relationship with if you believe you’re at risk.
This operates with the ‘right to ask’ which says that,” You have a right to ask the police no matter if your enquiry relates to a heterosexual or same-sex relationship… You also have a right to ask about a partner regardless of your (or your neighbour, friend or family member’s) gender identity, ethnicity, race, religion or other characteristics.”
As reported by the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner website, in 2021 Sussex police recorded 20,800 domestic abuse crimes, having the third highest arrest rate per 100 domestic abuse offences in the country.
This highlights the need for awareness around abusive relationships and recognising the signs in your partner.
Considering these figures, we tend to assume that most victims are women which can lead men in these circumstances to not know what to do. Under this post a commenter asked,” Is there any real support for men in the same situation? Women aren’t always the victim.”
Sussex police responded with,” Yes we support every victim of domestic abuse regardless of gender because domestic or sexual abuse and violence can happen to anyone.”
“There are also specialist support services for male victims of domestic abuse nationwide and locally which we can help refer them to.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse in the Sussex area please contact @changegrowlive.org or phone at 0300 323 9985
