Get Help!
It is important that help is sought at the first instance from police if you are a victim of abuse and/or contact the local emergency medical services at a local hospital.
Victim support call 0845 30 30 900
Shelter, for housing advice call: 0800 800 4444
Samaritans call: 08457 909090 – this is a nationwide charity which provides 24-hour confidential support for anyone in facing a crisis.
National Child Protection Helpline (NSPCC) call: 0800 8005000 – This is a free and confidential service for anyone concerned about children at risk, including children themselves. The service offers counselling, information, and advice.
Women’s Aid: Women’s Aid is the national domestic violence charity. 24-hour National domestic violence helpline call: 0800 2000 247
In addition, victims that also have immigration issues must immediately seek independent legal advice to regularize their immigration status. Some useful organisations giving practical and legal information on immigration, asylum, financial support and domestic violence:
Asylum Aid call: 020 7354 9264
Refugee Council, switchboard call: 020 7346 6700
Refugee Women’s Association call: 020 7923 2412
Rights of Women Immigration and asylum law advice call: 020 7490 7689
Domestic violence is not specifically limited to Muslim societies, but it affects all societies, classes and cultures. It is also common within Jewish and Christian communities. The fundamental issue is to seek immediate help and ‘never suffer in silence’.
In the UK, the Home Office in March 2013 introduced a new official definition. The definition includes young people aged 16 to 17 and coercive or controlling behaviour. (Home Office, Cross-government definition of domestic violence consultation, 14 December 2011, see further, Gov. http://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-violence-and-abuse , Section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 came into force in December 2015 and criminalizes coercive and controlling behavior).
The new definition now reads:
Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality (UK definitions of domestic violence, http://www.taeterinnen.org/en/05_ukdefinitions.html
