Domestic violence victims face toughest Christmas yet as cuts leave therapeutic support at all-time low

Exclusive: 'The general picture for domestic abuse services means this Christmas will be the most difficult in the whole ten years I have worked in domestic abuse services,' says refuge manager

Increased time with family and partners, alcohol consumption and financial pressures combine to worsen the plight of many victims over the festive period and support services traditionally see a spike in demand in January as a result (iStock)

Victims of domestic violence are being denied access to “life-saving” counselling and support services following record funding cuts, The Independent can reveal.

Figures show that one in four domestic abuse refuges have lost all government money for therapeutic support, with state funding at its lowest ever levels.

The number of support groups available has also fallen by a fifth in just one year between May 2017 and May this year, according to data from charity Women’s Aid.

The figures come ahead of the Christmas period, which often sees an increase in risks of domestic violence due to increased time with abusive partners, higher alcohol consumption and financial pressures.

Katie Ghose, chief executive of Women’s Aid, said: “Thousands of women and children will be living in households where there is domestic abuse this Christmas. Even though domestic abuse happens day in day out, Christmas is always a difficult time of year for survivors of domestic abuse.

“It can take months, years, sometimes even a lifetime, to heal from if she cannot get the specialist support she needs to help rebuild her life after experiencing abuse.

“These life-saving services are not an optional extra but an essential piece of the jigsaw in our response to domestic abuse. They not only provide survivors and their children with the life-transforming support they need to escape abuse and rebuild their lives, but they are also often the key to survivors having the confidence to report the abuse to the police and support a prosecution.”

Those in need of a refuge to escape their abuser will find it harder than ever to find a free bed, with the most recent figures showing 60 per cent of them are unable to be housed, most commonly due to lack of space. Local authority spending on refuges has been cut from £31.2m in 2010 to £23.9m last year.

Charlotte Kneer, chief executive of Reigate and Banstead Women’s Aid refuge in Surrey, said this Christmas would be the toughest in the ten years she has been working in the domestic violence sector.

The 48-year-old, who is a survivor of domestic violence, said: “Services are closing down because they are underfunded. Spaces are so difficult for families to get. We are all wondering if we will still be here this time next year.”

She said her refuge had to fund trauma therapy for adolescents through fundraising, while their adult therapy relied on a volunteer counsellor.

“The whole situation is ridiculous,” she said. “It is a hand-to-mouth existence. The stress of being able to operate is debilitating – it is not a position we should be in. We are getting cut on the one hand and then statutory services are also getting cut.”

“Without therapy, women can go on to become repeat victims and then their children will be. It is a known fact that statistically women are more likely to go into other abusive relationships if they have been in one.

“Therapeutic services are an essential part of providing a refuge service. It is at the core of what we are doing. It is intrinsic. It is not a luxury, it is not a desirable – it is an essential.”

Ms Kneer, whose violent partner was jailed for seven years in 2011, said Christmas had been the most difficult time of year when she was being abused.

“Everything in my life was about keeping things running smoothly, so he would not explode and that was much easier while he was out at work,” she recalled. “But Christmas meant him being at home and the kids being off school so there was much more potential for him to go mad. Then there was the added pressure of relatives and friends being around – if they realise what is happening they will say ‘you need to leave’ but you are not able to. Christmas is like a pressure cooker.”

Some 84 per cent of victims supported by Women’s Aid services experienced emotional abuse and 37 per cent of victims who experienced controlling behaviour were subject to threats to kill as part of a pattern of coercive control, according to the charity which has released a film featuring Marvel star Hayley Atwell to highlight controlling and coercive relationships.

Suzanne Jacob, chief executive of Safe Lives, another domestic violence charity, said: “Living with someone who controls what you wear or who you talk to, and being under constant pressure to ‘get things right’ has a devastating impact, and the effects are long-lasting.”