Latest news with #LiveFearFree
ITV News
21-07-2025
- ITV News
Exposure - Breaking The Silence: Kate's Story
It is estimated that 2.3 million people aged 16 years and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2024. There were 1.6 million women and 712,000 men. This means 1 in 6 men, and 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime and at least one woman a week is killed by their current or ex-partner. No one should face domestic abuse alone. Below are some charities which provide vital support. Please do reach out if you are worried about yourself or someone else, if it is safe to do so. Important Contact Details: If you are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you can't speak and are calling on a mobile press 55 to have your call transferred to the police. Domestic Violence Helplines: The Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline for Northern Ireland: help@ 0808 8021414 Scotland Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline: 0800 027 1234 Wales: Live Fear Free Helpline: 0808 8010 800 England: Refuge's National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247 UK wide Men's Advice Line is a confidential helpline specifically for male victims: 0808 8010 327 Rape Crisis Rape Crisis England & Wales Call free on 0808 500 2222 Surviving Economic Abuse: 0808 196 8845 (run by Money Advice Plus) The Mix, free information and support for under 25s in the UK: 0808 808 4994 National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0800 999 5428 (run by Galop) Samaritans: 116 123 For issues concerning child abuse, you can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 8005000 Women's Aid: Women's Aid is a grassroots federation working together to provide life-saving services and build a future where domestic violence is not tolerated. They can offer direct support through their email service and Survivor's helpline@ to speak to a Women's Aid professional or Refuge: Refuge, the largest UK domestic abuse organisation for women, offers a wide range of services to support victims of domestic abuse. Visit to fill in a webform and request a safe time to be contacted or to access live chat (live chat available 10am-10pm, Monday to Friday). For support with technology-facilitated abuse visit Rights of Women: Rights of Women (ROW) provides frontline legal advice to women experiencing all forms of violence against women and girls in England and Wales. Call their advice lines listed below or fill in a webform to receive law advice line: 020 7251 6577Criminal law advice line: 020 7251 8887FLOWS: A free online criminal law advice service for women in England and Wales called FLOWS Answers. You can write to them using the online tool and a lawyer from the Rights of Women team will email you with a response to your question within 2 weeks: Surviving Economic Abuse Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) is the only UK charity dedicated to raising awareness of economic abuse and transforming responses to it. SEA runs a Financial Support line in partnership with Money Advice Plus, which provides dedicated support to victim-survivors with their money worries, providing the opportunity to regain financial control and economic stability. They can be contacted on 0808 196 8845 between 9am–5pm Monday to Friday. Calls are freeof charge. Practitioner Health NHS staff in England and Scotland are able to access confidential mental health care through NHS Practitioner Health. The service exists to support health and care staff who face barriers or experience difficulties accessing care through mainstream routes and understand how issues such as domestic abuse can cause stigma. Practitioner Health can offer access to expert mental health clinicians and to both one to one and group service is available at or by calling 0300 0303 300 Centre for Women's Justice Centre for Women's Justice is a small charity which aims to hold the state to account for violence against women and girls. Their website provides signposting to specialist legal advice on varies different types of legal issues. For those causing harm who want to stop:
Wales Online
08-05-2025
- Wales Online
His partner thought she would die when he held a pillow over her face and punched her repeatedly
His partner thought she would die when he held a pillow over her face and punched her repeatedly 'I tried to kill myself three times over what he did to me and overdosed three times... I can't trust a man near me or even my own family' Matthew Clarke, 41, suffocated his partner by holding a pillow over her face and punching her repeatedly (Image: Gwent Police ) A woman was suffocated by her partner who held a pillow over her face and punched her repeatedly. The victim thought she was going to die and armed herself with a kitchen knife. Matthew Clarke, 41, assaulted his partner at her home in Tredegar on October 29 last year. He breached bail conditions after turning up at her house. While there he accused her of cheating on him and was physically abusive towards her to the point she took hold of a blade in order to protect herself. A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Tuesday heard the defendant entered the victim's home at 1.30pm while she was showering and he was aggressive towards her. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter. He accused the victim of cheating and smashed her phone against a bathroom radiator before throwing it at her. Later that day, the victim was in bed and she told Clarke to leave but he picked up a can of cider and hit her to the head with it before drinking it. He then shook another can and opened it over her before also pouring another can over her. He claimed she owed him money and she responded by throwing a remote control at him. Article continues below Prosecutor Amelia Pike said Clarke returned to the victim's home at 10.30pm and he entered her bedroom where he was shouting and aggressive towards her. How to access free domestic abuse helplines in Wales If you, a family member, or a friend have experienced domestic abuse or sexual violence, you can contact the Live Fear Free helpline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for free advice and support, or to talk through your options. Call 0808 80 10 800, text 0786 007 7333, email info@ or go to Live Fear Free (funded by Welsh Government and run by Welsh Women's Aid) is a confidential service. Calls to 0808 80 numbers are free to call from landlines and mobile phones in the UK. They do not appear on itemised bills. The helpline provides support in English and Welsh, and access to an interpreter for callers with language support needs. The Refuge charity also provides information, support and practical help 24 hours a day to women experiencing domestic violence. The service can refer women and children to refuges throughout the UK to help them escape domestic abuse. Refuge can be called on 0808 808 9999. The defendant continued to accuse her of being unfaithful, which she denied. The victim told him to leave her alone and said if he hit her again "that would be the last". Clarke responded by beginning to strike her multiple times to her face and body using both hands. He then got on top of the victim and straddled her arms before grabbing a pillow and holding it over her face. The defendant did this on three or four occasions for minutes at a time and the victim could feel blows from him punching the pillow. She was unable to breathe and feared she was going to die. Eventually, Clarke stopped and said he wanted a cigarette and told the victim he "loved and hated her". Ms Pike said the victim was "frozen in pain and in shock". He hit her again and she got out of bed, saying she was going to sleep in the living room, but he said if she did she would "get another beating". The victim went to the kitchen and retrieved a kitchen knife. The defendant asked her if she was going to stab him or come back to bed. She told Clarke to let her go and called for help from the doorway. A neighbour had called the police in relation to an unrelated matter and despite the defendant trying to prevent her from shouting, she was heard by officers who came to the door and arrested the attacker. Samaritans details You can contact the Samaritans for non-judgmental advice 24/7, 365 days a year, by calling 116 123 or by emailing jo@ They also have an online chat service and a self-help app, or you can write them a letter for free at Freepost SAMARITANS LETTERS The victim, who suffered a black eye and bruising, told the court in her victim personal statement that she "thought she was going to die" when the defendant suffocated her. She added: "I started having flashbacks and when I walked out the flat I never went back to the property. I couldn't sleep because I thought he was going to get me again or kill me. As a result of flashbacks of Matt harming me I went to my mother's in a different area to stay with her. "I am suffering with problems with my mental health and flashbacks of what happened that night with Matt. I tried to kill myself three times over what he did to me and overdosed three times... I can't trust a man near me or even my own family. "I see doubles of Matt everywhere I go and I'm completely still with fear. I don't want to go out anymore and get nervous when men are behind me. I don't see friends or even my brother as often as I used to as I don't want to go outside." Clarke, of Market Street, Tredegar, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of criminal damage. The court heard the defendant had 19 previous convictions, including five offences against the person including assault occasioning actual bodily harm for which he received a suspended sentence order he is now in breach of. Article continues below In mitigation, Gareth Williams said his client had a "difficult upbringing and childhood" and as an adult he suffered with alcoholism and homelessness. Judge Daniel Williams sentenced Clarke to a total of two years and 10 months imprisonment, and made him subject to a restraining order for 10 years.
