"The Start of the Rest of Your Life" - Nottinghamshire domestic abuse victim speaks out about reporting crimes

“I know it’s hard. I know it can be scary – but that first call to the police really could be the start of the rest of your life.” – Those are the powerful words of domestic abuse survivor Laura, who is urging others feeling trapped in abusive relationships to speak up and call the police.

Laura (whose name has been changed in order to protect her identity) suffered sustained mental and physical abuse over a number of years before finding the strength to reach out to Nottinghamshire Police.

Speaking on White Ribbon Day – a day of action to raise awareness of male violence against women – she explained how that first interaction with our officers put her on the path to a new life and a new career helping other victims of abuse.

“It’s hard to remember now when it all started, but I remember having a black eye when I was pregnant with our first child.

“Over the years I suffered a lot of violence from him – almost always when he’d been drinking.

“I wanted to leave him and wanted him out of the house, but I was scared. I also blamed myself for what happened a lot of the time, thinking I had said or done something wrong.

“I finally went to the police back in 2014. I’d just had enough on that day and was tired of being used as a punch bag.

“I actually ended up going to the police station straight from doing the school run.”

Like many abuse survivors, Laura had reservations about going to the police, but telling us about abuse remains the best way to stop it and stay safe.

She added: “I didn’t know what to expect or whether they would take what I was saying seriously.

“I wanted them to arrest him and to get him out of my house but didn’t know if that would happen.

“But in the end that’s exactly what did happen. They took what I was saying seriously, they arrested him and put in place very strict bail conditions that prevented him from speaking to me.

“My main feeling at that point was relief. I didn’t feel scared because I knew the police were there to support me and I knew those bail conditions were in place.

“Overall, I was just really impressed with what they did to help me in a short period of time. It all felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.”

Laura, who also fell victim to abuse in another relationship, later worked with a charity supporting other women affected by domestic abuse.

As a result of her experiences, she is now studying at university and hopes to become a police detective in the future.

She added: “I still carry the scars of that abuse but looking back I know that reporting it made me a stronger person, and allowed me to do the things I’m doing now.

“And that’s what I say to other people in my position. I know it’s hard. I know it can be scary – but that first call to the police really could be the start of the rest of your life.”

In recent years Nottinghamshire Police has adopted a bold and proactive approach to protecting victims from harm – even in cases where criminal charges cannot be secured. These include proactive arrest and strict bail conditions and Domestic Violence Protection Orders.

Detective Inspector Jackie Price, White Ribbon Lead at Nottinghamshire Police, said: “As a police officer with many years’ experience of supporting people like Laura, I cannot stress enough that the best way to speak out is to call the police and tell us what’s happening.

“Our number one priority from that moment on is to keep you safe – and I can assure you that we will do everything we can to do that – even if we’re not able to bring charges against your abuser.”