Domestic abuse awareness day has 'added significance'

A domestic abuse awareness day is even more important this year, the council’s lead member for health has said.

White Ribbon Day is an international movement aimed at raising awareness of domestic abuse. It is marked every year globally on November 25 (today).

Cllr Stuart Carroll (Con, Boyn Hill) said that this is a ‘really important awareness day’ with an ‘added significance’ following a lockdown-filled 2020.

The council’s health lead added there has been an increase both nationally, and internationally, in domestic abuse during the pandemic.

“Domestic abuse is a sinister reality in our world but we have to face up to the fact that it exists,” Cllr Carroll said.

“It is not just physical or sexual – it can be mental, or even financial.

“We convey to anybody who is suffering, and that can include men, that they do reach out to our excellent domestic abuse charity DASH, and contact the police if they are in immediate harms way.”

“This is a reality – we have to confront it in order to stamp it out.

“It is an important thing every year, but because of the world we are in at the moment with the pandemic, we have seen increases in domestic abuse. I feel that this is a particularly important year.”

Visit thedashcharity.org.uk and whiteribbon.org.uk