While everyone in the country is rooting for a win in tonight’s World Cup semi-final, for some, a loss will mean more than the loss of a mid-week excuse to hit the pub. Recent statistics have shown that when England suffers a defeat, incidents of domestic violence increase by 38%. That means that the loss of a match can be life-threatening to a victim of domestic abuse.
In England and Wales, around 1.9 million adults aged 16-59 experienced domestic abuse in 2016/2017. It affects all ages, genders, and races and can occur outside of intimate relationships. Despite the common misconception, domestic abuse is not always physical and can be much more subtle in the form of emotional and financial abuse. No single sporting event or incident is an excuse for this kind of behaviour but it can be a trigger.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse then help is available. The court can make orders securing you and your children in your home and preventing the abuser from contacting you or coming near you and your home.
If you or anyone you know is suffering from domestic violence or abuse of any kind by a spouse, partner or another family member, please get in touch with one of our expert family law specialists.