Abuse is the ultimate passion killer

POLICE will send out Valentine’s Day cards with a difference — to encourage victims of violence to get help.

The card shows a woman’s back — scarred by large and ugly bruises. In 2009, there were 627 domestic abuse incidents across Greater Manchester over the Valentine’s Day weekend.

DCI David Riddick of GMP’s Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons Unit said: “As Valentine’s Day approaches people are thinking about their relationships so we want to encourage those suffering at the hands of abusive partners to seek help and support now before the abuse escalates any further.”

A number of operations will be in place across Greater Manchester this weekend including dedicated cars, extra domestic abuse officers and specialist domestic abuse courts.

As well as the cards, a hard-hitting and emotive TV advert highlighting the effect of domestic abuse on a female victim and her daughter will be shown on the skyscraper plasma screen in Piccadilly.

National figures produced by the Home Office show that a victim often suffers from an average of 35 attacks before calling the police and domestic abuse accounts for 15 per cent of all violent incidents.

One in four women and one in six men will be a victim of domestic abuse in their lifetime with women at greater risk of repeat victimisation and serious injury.

One incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute and in the UK, an average of two women a week are killed by a current or former male partner.

DCI David Riddick said: “Any form of domestic abuse is completely deplorable.

“The message inside the Valentine’s card reads: ‘You say you love me but hurt me too — this is not love and there is no excuse for domestic abuse’.

“I would like to reassure victims that all year round, we have trained and experienced domestic abuse investigators available across Greater Manchester to give advice on dealing with all kinds of abuse.

“They are also there to provide support from the initial report throughout the investigation and during court proceedings.

“Furthermore, we can now act on information from family and friends and all evidence from the scene of an incident is fully recorded so that the prosecution does not rely solely on the victim’s evidence.”

To contact your local domestic abuse unit call the GMP switchboard on 0161-872 5050.

Victims who would prefer to speak to someone other than the police about their abuse can contact support agencies such as the Women’s Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0161-636 7525 or online at www.wdacho ices.org.uk

Sam Priestley from Independent Choices who runs the Women’s Domestic Abuse Helpline adds: “We received over 7,000 calls last year, domestic abuse affects many different people and it is important to remember the victim is not to blame.

“We encourage all women to seek support early, we often get women calling who say they are unsure if they are in a domestic abuse situation, if you are afraid or unsure then seek support now and learn about your range of choices.”