The last thing that we here at Family Law Cafe want to do is take sides in the argument over who should or should not be this country’s next Prime Minister. However, there is an important message to take from the reporting of an incident the other day at the home of Boris Johnson and his partner, Carrie Symonds.
The important message is this: if you are concerned that a serious incident of domestic abuse may be taking place then you should report it to the police. Some have argued that what happened between Mr Johnson and Ms Symonds was private and should not have been reported. However, it would be a serious retrograde step if concerned neighbours felt they should not report their concerns because that might breach someone’s privacy. A large number domestic abuse incidents only come to the attention of the police because they are reported by concerned neighbours, and failing to report could put many victims at risk.
It is of course true that everyone is entitled to privacy in their own home, and we are not for one moment suggesting that anyone should pry into the private life of a neighbour. However, an altercation that is so loud that it can be heard by others is no longer private. We are not of course saying that anything untoward happened at Mr Johnson’s home, just that genuine concerns should be passed on to the authorities. Domestic abuse is a scourge that we all have a duty to address.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse then there are steps you can take to protect yourself. For a summary, see this post. For further information, please contact us. To book a free initial consultation, click the green button at the top of this page and fill in the form, or call us on 020 3904 0506.
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Image of Boris Johnson from Flickr, licensed under CC BY 2.0.