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.
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. Police will still come to your home.
If you feel you are being abused, there are organisations that can help you:
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.
Civil partnerships
Relationship breakdown
Living with family
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Domestic abuse
Death in the household
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.
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.
This page gives advice on financial help you can get if you leave your partner because of domestic abuse.
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: December 2, 2020
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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