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Help if you are a victim of domestic abuse

If a person you live with or have lived with has abused you – whether physically or not – you could be experiencing domestic abuse. The law can protect you and help you to change your situation.

Domestic abuse is when someone in a close relationship with you behaves in a way that causes you physical, mental, or emotional damage. This doesn’t have to be physical violence. Domestic abuse includes any incident of threatening behaviour. Domestic abuse can be psychological, physical, social, financial or emotional.

Domestic abusers are usually a person’s spouse, partner, ex-spouse, ex-partner or other close family member. Most people affected by domestic abuse are women, but some men are abused by their partners.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

If staying at home because of Coronavirus puts you or your family at risk of abuse from someone else in the household, there is still help available during the pandemic.

Contact one of the organisations below or visit Welsh Women’s Aid advice page on Safety and Self-Care Advice for Survivors in Isolation. For details of how to stay safe during the pandemic, click here.

If you are in immediate danger, call the police on 999. If you need silent help dial 999 followed by 55. Police will still come to your home.

Where can I go for help?

If you feel you are being abused, there are organisations that can help you:

  • The LiveFearFree helpline is a free, confidential 24 hour helpline run by Welsh Women’s Aid. Call 0808 8010 800 or email info@livefearfreehelpline.wales
  • Men experiencing domestic abuse can contact the Respect Men’s Advice Line on 0808 801 0327. The helpline is open Mon to Fri 9am-5pm and is free from landlines and mobile phones within the UK. Men suffering abuse can also contact The Dyn Project in Wales. They offer a free and confidential helpline and provide advice and information on their website.
  • Stonewall Cymru provides advice and support on a range of issues to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender victims and survivors of domestic abuse in Wales.
  • BAWSO provide safe and secure accommodation to Black and Ethnic Minority women and children at risk of or suffering domestic abuse in Wales.
  • Hourglass – a charity specifically dedicated to tackling the harm, neglect, abuse and exploitation of older people.
  • Childline is a confidential helpline for children and young people experiencing or witnessing abuse run by the NSPCC. The helpline is 0800 11 11 and open 24/7. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones within the UK and will not appear on phone bills.
  • Bright Sky app is a free mobile app that provides support and information to anyone who may be in an abusive relationship.
  • The Public Health Wales website provides further practical advice on how to stay safe, health and wellbeing and links to additional resources.

You might also need to think about whether you should leave your current home, or whether you can stay there and improve safety. The Civil Legal Advice helpline on 0345 345 4 345 is a free legal advice service in England and Wales. You may be able to get free advice on housing, family and other problems if you are eligible for legal aid. The helpline can provide contact details of solicitors in your area who may be able to help you.

Other pages in families and relationships

Civil partnerships
Relationship breakdown
Living with family
Renting long term solutions
Home ownership long term solutions
Domestic abuse
Death in the household

See all advice topics

Domestic abuse and homelessness

If you have had to leave your home due to domestic abuse and you have nowhere to go, you should be able to get help from the council.

Refuges

If you have to leave home because your partner is behaving in an abusive or threatening way towards you, you may want to stay at a refuge.

Domestic abuse and money

This page gives advice on financial help you can get if you leave your partner because of domestic abuse.

Getting the perpetrator to leave

If you have suffered domestic abuse, you may want to stay in your home, and get the perpetrator out.

We are sorry that we cannot provide this information in Welsh, however if you would like to speak to an adviser in Welsh please contact 08000 495 495.

This page was last updated on: March 12, 2021

Shelter Cymru acknowledges the support of Shelter in allowing us to adapt their content. The information contained on this site is updated and maintained by Shelter Cymru and only gives general guidance on the law in Wales. It should not be regarded or relied upon as a complete or authoritative statement of the law.

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