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BBC article is a reminder that men can be victims of abuse too

October 23, 2024

It is often mistakenly thought that only women are victims of domestic abuse. And whilst it is true that women make up the majority of victims, a substantial number of victims are men, as a recent BBC article demonstrated.

And we are not just talking about men in same-sex relationships. Men can also be abused by their female partners, as was the situation in the case referred to in the BBC article.

The case concerned a man and a woman who began their relationship in July 2021.

Initially, all was well within the relationship, but quite soon the woman began controlling the man. She forced him to move into her home, and restricted his movements, cutting him off from his friends and family, and controlling his finances. She even refused to allow him to shower or use the toilet in the house.

If the man did not comply with her orders then she would punish him by physically assaulting him, preventing him from eating, and making him sleep on the floor.

Eventually, in March 2022, the man contacted the police, after seeking help from a men’s domestic abuse helpline. The police investigated, and the woman was charged with controlling and coercive behaviour.

The woman pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for two years. She was also given a five year restraining order, and ordered to complete 35 days of rehabilitation.

Following the sentencing, a woman Detective Constable who had dealt with the case commented that this was the worst case of controlling behaviour that she had seen, and added: “Many people think that only women can be victims of controlling and coercive behaviour, but as this case demonstrates, that is not always the case and there is help available.”

The latest statistics for domestic abuse victim characteristics in England and Wales, for the year ending March 2023, showed that an estimated 1.4 million women and 751,000 men aged 16 years and over experienced domestic abuse in that year, a prevalence rate of approximately 6 in 100 women and 3 in 100 men.

In other words, about one in three victims are men. Domestic abuse is truly a scourge that has no gender boundaries.

If you are a victim of abuse, whether male or female, it is essential that you seek the protection of the law, at the earliest opportunity. We can find you an expert who will help you obtain that protection, working with you on our digital platform. For more information, call us on 020 3904 0506, or click here, and fill in the form.

You can read the BBC article here.

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