Crimestoppers Launch New Domestic Abuse Campaign

The stark statistic prompted Crimestoppers to reach out to residents in County Durham & Darlington, urging locals to help save lives by speaking up anonymously.

The shocking fact that 1 in 5 children witness or are exposed to domestic abuse is extremely hard to hear, but that is what the NSPCC statistics indicate. This is just another shocking fact about domestic abuse, like the fact that approximately two women are murdered each week by a current or former partner.

The independent charity Crimestoppers has therefore launched another campaign to let people across County Durham know that if they hear or suspect domestic abuse and don’t want to tell the police for any reason, that they can tell Crimestoppers, completely anonymously.

There are many victims living in fear, terrified to say the wrong thing, desperately trying to protect themselves and their children by keeping quiet and by trying to become invisible. Together, our communities can help these victims, become their voice, get them the help they so desperately need.

Domestic abuse can be physical, psychological, emotional, sexual or financial. Any adult can be a perpetrator, with I in 4 reoffending. It affects 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men during their lifetime. When children witness domestic abuse, it can have a devastating impact on their lives and ability to reach their full potential.

You may be a neighbour who has seen or heard threatening and intimidating arguments, which may involve abusive language that can escalate into a violent argument where the partner blames the other for their actions, saying they are “asking for it” or deserve the abuse. You may have seen bruising or other visible marks on a friend, family member or work colleague – this may be the sign of physical abuse. It’s always better to be safer than sorry, so please contact the charity 100% anonymously.

A team of professionals working at Crimestoppers’ national Contact Centre anonymise all information received – to ensure the person giving the details can never be identified – before passing it on to police to investigate and safeguard. Whether it is a neighbour, friend, work colleague or relative, no one will ever know who provided the information.

Previous domestic abuse lockdown campaigns and appeals last year saw numerous victims safeguarded and action taken against perpetrators as a result of anonymous information the charity received and passed on.

Ruth McNee, North East Regional Manager at the charity Crimestoppers, said:
“The amazing people of the North East have already done so much – so many people have bravely reported their concerns anonymously to us in the past year, I’m sure as we continue to spread the message we can help save even more lives.
“Every day we hear distressing and poignant stories from people who are doing an amazing thing by telling us anonymously when they think domestic abuse is happening. We all need to realise that victims may be too scared and traumatised to seek help.
“Information, given to our charity by people from across County Durham and Darlington, helps law enforcement bring a halt to abuse and violence in the home. Our message to local people is clear – by working together, being aware and reporting what we know, we can help put a stop to domestic abuse and we can save lives.”

To report domestic abuse 100% anonymously, visit the charity’s website https://crimestoppers-uk.org/ and fill in a simple and secure anonymous online form

Or call their 24/7 UK Contact Centre on freephone 0800 555 111, 365 days of the year. In an emergency, always call 999.

100% Anonymous means:

• Computer IP addresses are never traced, and no-one will ever know you contacted Crimestoppers.
• For telephone calls, there is no caller line display, no 1471 facility and the charity has never traced a call.