Dear Resident,

You close the door to your home. It should be your safe space, but it’s not. It’s 7.24pm on a Monday night and you're in fear of your husband.

You walk down the road quickly. You glance back, and realise he's following you. 

You start walking in Peterborough city centre, unsure where to turn, but you end up near Thorpe Wood police enquiry office. You call police using the yellow emergency phone, but then your spirits lift – you see a police officer making their way into work and flag them down.

This might sound like a slightly farfetched dream, but it was the reality of what one woman faced earlier this week.

She told the officer she had fled her home in the city and alleged eight years of domestic violence and coercive control.

She told them her husband takes her money, controls her movements, doesn’t let her go out or buy new clothes.

We immediately took steps to safeguard the woman and made sure she had a safe place to spend the night.

We arrested a man from Peterborough in connection with the allegations, and enquiries continue.

For more info, advice and support about domestic abuse, including coercive control, visit our dedicated web pages.

Alternatively, you can call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. Call us on 999 if you, or someone you know, is in immediate danger.

Sometimes, enough is enough. 

#WednesdayWisdom #YouAreNotAlone #SaferCambs 

Kind regards,