Sisters of Frida Home

Bringing disabled women together, mobilising
and sharing through lived experiences

Violence Against Women and Girls

We will be adding resources, news and events on Violence Against Women and Girls on this page.

Our letter and it’s response in regard to question on s.76 Serious Crime Act 2015

National domestic violence 24 hour helpline is 0808 2000 247 (if you have been abused by your partner or by family member)

violence and abuse booklet: information for deaf /or disabled womenThere is a brochure Violence and Abuse: What can I do?  available as a PDF.

Within the brochure are some organisations listed where you can get help for victims or survivors of violence and abuse:

 England and Wales

National Domestic Violence Helpline

0808 2000 247

The Free phone 24 hr helpline offers Type Talk and will not show up on your BT Bill.

You can email them and they will answer within three working days:

helpline@womensaid.org.uk

Double Oppression: Violence Against Disabled Women: A resource pack for practitioners (PDF)

In 2008 The Nia Project received funding from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission to run a one-year project focused on disabled women accessing justice. The following information includes resources and information used in developing the project, including links on where to look for more information and a listing of relevant agencies.

CHAYN:

CHAYN are a global volunteer network addressing gender-based violence by creating intersectional survivor-led resources online. They’ve produced a “How to build a domestic abuse case without a lawyer” resource.

Domestic Violence Helplines (from the Women’s Grid)

National Domestic Violence Helpline
0808 2000 247
Freephone 24 Hour
List of Refuges England

Broken Rainbow LGBT Domestic Violence Helpline
0300 999 5428
Mon & Thur 10am-8pm
Tues & Wed 10am-5pm
(Tues 1-5pm Trans specific service)

Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs): England Scotland and Wales
At the SARC, you can have a forensic medical examination, as well as tests for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy.
The SARC should not pressure you into reporting to the police and they can store the results of the forensic examination (or evidence) until you make up your mind whether to report to the police or not.
Find a local SARC through NHS Direct

Rape Crisis Helplines

National Freephone Helpline
0808 802 9999
12-2.30 and 7-9.30 Every Day of the Year
3-5.30 weekdays excluding Bank Holidays
Rape Crisis Centres England and Wales

Deaf Hope – Deaf Women’s Refuge
Text: 07970 350366

Voice/minicom: 020 8772 3241

Fax: 020 8772 3242

Email: deafhope@signhealth.org.uk

My Sisters Place (Teesside)

Tel: 01642 241864

http://mysistersplace.org.uk

Oasis House

– a refuge for women with learning disabilities (including pregnant women or women with children) Ilford.

Assessment and Support Team 0208 478 3177

contact@oneonecoco.co.uk

Scotland

Rape Crisis Scotland

Tel: 0141 331 4180

Wise Women
Tel: 0141 550 7557

Saheliya

Tel: 0131 556 9302

Shakti Women’s Aid, Edinburgh

Tel: 0131 475 2399

Email: info@shaktiedinburgh.co.uk

Northern Ireland

Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland

24 hr National Domestic Violence Helpline

0808 802 1414

To report a disablist hate crime anonymously:

Stop Hate UK: 0800 138 1625

True Vision’s Hate Crime Reporting

For local organisations led by disabled people

Deaf Connections

Tel: 0141 420 1759

Shaping Our Lives

Tel: 0845 241 0383

National Forum of People with Learning Disabilities

People First Members Groups

Tel: 0207 274 5484

Disability Action, Belfast

Tel: 028 9029 7880

Disability Wales, Caerphilly

Tel: 029 20887325

Fax: 029 20888702

Email: info@disabilitywales.org

Stay Safe East (London)

Tel: 0208 519 7241

Text: 07587 134 122

Email: advocacy@staysafe-east.org.uk

A link to Waltham Forest council has been removed due to link no longer resolving to the correct page as of December 2020.

Vision Sense (North East and Cumbria)

Tel: 0300 111 0191

Email: susie@visionsense.co.uk

Kurdish and Middle Eastern Women’s Organisation (KMEWO)

020 7263 1027 (Islington)
020 7708 0057 (Southwark)
077 4885 1125 (mobile)
020 7561 9594 (fax)

Email: info@kmewo.com

National Domestic Violence Helpline
(Free 24H)

0808 2000 247

London VAWG consortium

Advice and Counselling

Solace Advice Hub

0808 8025565 email: advice@solacewomensaid.org

Women and Girl’s Network Advice Hub

08088010660 email:advice@wgn.org.uk

News

Violence against Disabled Women and Girls

The Metropolitan Police’s dubious record regarding rape victims with psychosocial disabilities

This is mainly a literature review of published reports and news articles which detail the Metropolitan Police’s failures mainly related to those with pyschosocial disabilities (PSDs)

In terms of the many reports on no-criming or CRIs (Crime Related Incidents), we must bear in mind the Betsy Stanko report as this shows a large percent of these no-crimes were victims with PSDs. Her groundbreaking report can be used as a measure of policing performance/attitudinal factors towards PSDs.

Each time we see reference to no-criming or CRI, we can be quite sure the potential exists that even more female victims who have PSDs been badly let down by the Metropolitan Police.

The research is by no means complete in what is clearly an extremely long list of failures, misdemeanors and acts of misconduct by the Metropolitan Police.

Sexual abuse of disabled adults revealed (from BBC)

The abuse of disabled people is a hidden crime we must face up to (Frances Ryan)

Almost 5,000 disabled adults – across 106 councils – have been sexually abused in England in the past two years, new figures show. As the NSPCC put it, this is the “visible peak” of what could be a bigger problem of sexual assault against disabled people. People with learning difficulties were the victims of almost two-thirds of reported incidents. The others had a range of physical disabilities. Disabled children are also likely victims.

Women with disabilities excluded from domestic abuse law, say campaigners (Karen McVeigh)

A new law on domestic violence that criminalises “coercive control” could exclude women with disabilities, who are particularly vulnerable to such abuse, say campaigners.

The new legislation, part of the Serious Crime Bill, will make it illegal for someone to exercise psychological, emotional or financial control over their partner. The law has been welcomed by women’s groups, who have long called for coercive control, which they say is often a prelude to violence, to be a crime.

However, a fresh amendment introduced by the government earlier this month will allow a defence for carers who say they believe they are acting in their partners’ “best interests”. A court would then decide if such behaviour was reasonable.

See

Serious Crime Act 2015

2015 c. 9PART 5Domestic abuseSection 76

(8)In proceedings for an offence under this section it is a defence for A to show that—

(a)in engaging in the behaviour in question, A believed that he or she was acting in B’s best interests, and

(b)the behaviour was in all the circumstances reasonable.

(9)A is to be taken to have shown the facts mentioned in subsection (8) if—

(a)sufficient evidence of the facts is adduced to raise an issue with respect to them, and

(b)the contrary is not proved beyond reasonable doubt.

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