Domestic abuse

Domestic abuse during coronavirus - help for yourself or someone you know

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What is domestic abuse?

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 defines domestic abuse as abusive behaviour by a person towards another person who is aged 16 and over where they are personally connected.

Abusive behaviour can be a single incident or course of behaviour and is defined as:

• physical or sexual abuse;
• violent or threatening behaviour;
• controlling or coercive behaviour;
• economic abuse
• psychological, emotional or other abuse;

Personally connected is defined as such:

• they are, or have been, married to each other;
• they are, or have been, civil partners of each other;
• they have agreed to marry one another (whether or not the agreement has been terminated);
• they have entered into a civil partnership agreement (whether or not the agreement has been terminated);
• they are, or have been, in an intimate personal relationship with each other;
• they each have, or there has been a time when they each have had, a parental relationship in relation to the same child (see subsection (2));
• they are relatives.

Children are a victim of domestic abuse where they see, hear or otherwise experience the effects of the abuse and they are related to the victim or perpetrator.

Getting help and support

Everyone has the right to personal safety. If you are worried it is never too late to seek help.

If you are currently experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse we know that you must be feeling isolated and frightened. You might be worried about self-isolating with someone who is harming you. Social distancing and isolation measures (such as working from home) that are necessary to control the spread of the virus may reinforce the power that an abuser has over you and your family.

Safe Lives have created a guide to Staying safe during the Covid-19 pandemic to help you think about what you might do over the coming weeks to stay safe.

Camden Safety Net is a confidential service for domestic abuse survivors. Anyone who lives, works or studies in the borough of Camden can use the service. You can talk to one of our advisors, who will help keep you safe and discuss your options.

Camden Safety Net is providing additional support such as more frequent contact with those at risk and developing dynamic safety plans.  This could include enlisting help and support from trusted friends and/or neighbours, asking them to check in regularly if safe to do so and setting up code words or phrases with them to indicate when police should be contacted.

Safe and private spaces are available at local pharmacies displaying the Action Needed Immediately poster.  To get help all you need to do is say the code word ANI, which stands for Action Needed Immediately.  Trained staff will be able to offer you assistance. See a list of participating pharmacies in Camden and local boroughs.

British Sign Language access

Free, confidential support via qualified British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters is available for deaf women at National Domestic Abuse Helpline.

The service is in partnership with SignHealth and provides the only specialist domestic abuse service delivered in BSL.

The BSL National Domestic Abuse Helpline is open on Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm.

A live chat is available on Monday to Friday, 3 to 10pm.

The Helpline webpage includes a BSL video that explains the service and how to access it safely. Underneath the video, there are click buttons to connect with an interpreter or the live chat. Sign-up is not required. The Helpline website is also available in Bengali, Polish and Spanish.  The languages can be selected by clicking the globe icon at the top right hand of the page.

Powers under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 is a landmark piece of legislation, first introduced July 2019 and received Royal Assent on 29 April 2021.

The Act provides powers to protect domestic abuse victims. 

Some of the powers are:

• A duty on local authorities in England to provide support to victims of domestic abuse and their children in refuges and other safe accommodation
• Ensure that anyone made homeless as a result of domestic abuse is automatic in priority need for housing
• A local housing authority must grant a secure tenancy to any person who was a qualifying tenant at a previous address who was a victim of domestic abuse and is being re-housed because of that abuse
• A senior police officer may give a domestic abuse protection notice against a perpetrator where there is reasonable grounds to believe they have been abusive towards the victim and the notice is necessary to protect the victim. It may only be given to adults over 18. The notice may prohibit the perpetrator from contacting or going to the home of the victim and gives police powers of arrest if breached.
• The court may grant a domestic abuse protection order against a perpetrator. An application must be made within 48 hours following a notice being given by the police but third parties may also apply.
• A new standalone offence of non-fatal strangulation
• The coercive control offence is extended to include post-separation abuse 
• Threats to share intimate images will be a criminal offence