Change lives this summer

Laura has experienced controlling and coercive behaviour throughout her relationship with her abusive husband, and this continued after they separated. He continued to stalk and harass Laura and assaulted Laura’s daughter from her previous relationship. Laura reported this to the police and he was arrested and put on police bail as a safety measure. 

Previously, with the support of the National Centre for Domestic Violence, Laura applied for a non-molestation order, which was granted only in an emergency, and an occupation order which was refused. Alana House’s independent domestic violence advocate (IDVA) worked with Laura and appealed the decision the previous judge had made in respect of the occupation order and wrote a report to support the legal process that should have been applied and addressed the Judge to give their professional opinion on Laura’s safety and why the orders were necessary to protect her and this resulted in the orders being granted for 12 months, giving Laura safety and protection. The judge made the order enforceable and advised her husband he would be arrested and imprisoned if he breached the orders. 

Together Laura and the team’s IDVA made sure that Laura has a safety plan and increased security measures and alarms were installed in her home through another organisation.  

Laura’s husband immediately breached his non-molestation order and refused to give a plea at his hearing and was placed on remand which has meant that Laura and her daughter will be required to attend a criminal trial as witnesses. 

The Alana House IDVA and team will continue to support Laura throughout the trial and work to get the family support through PACT’s BB4K programme and Alana House’s Domestic Abuse Recovery Toolkit programme and their Healing Trauma programme. 

Sarah, Laura’s Women’s Community Project Key Worker, said:  

“Working with Laura it was clear that our priority was ensuring the physical safety for her and her children and to do that we had to navigate the police and legal systems which can be overwhelming for victims.

“This process can repeatedly keep victims in the initial trauma and can protract recovery.    

“Alana House has so many groups and initiatives for Laura to access when her family’s safety is secured.

“From groups to help eliminate any potential feelings of isolation, to counselling in order to understand the impact of trauma on her and give her a safe forum to express her response.

“We also have person-led and trauma-informed key working sessions to help Laura decide what she wants her future to look like and how to make it a reality.

“I am confident that with our support, in time, Laura will be moving to a much safer, stronger, and brighter future.”

 *Names have been changed for confidentiality.