Domestic Abuse Survivor Calls On Women to Break Free and Seek Justice
A domestic abuse survivor in Northern Ireland has bravely shared her harrowing experience to encourage other women to come forward and seek justice. The survivor, Chelsea Hamilton, endured three years of coercive control and domestic abuse at the hands of her former partner, who was later jailed for assault, threats to kill, and possession of an offensive weapon.
Ms. Hamilton recalls how she lived in constant fear, isolated from friends and family, and subjected to physical violence. She was once shot at with a crossbow and severely beaten when she tried to leave her abuser.
Her former partner, who was training to be an MMA fighter, left her with multiple injuries, but the most lasting damage was psychological. She developed a stutter and began to feel disconnected from herself. However, with the support of the police, she found the courage to come forward and seek justice.
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Domestic abuse survivors, she believes, often live in fear, manipulated into thinking the abuse is their fault and that no one will believe them. “No woman should live their life in constant fear,” she said. “I was believed, and it does get easier.” Ms. Hamilton is now calling on other victims of domestic abuse to trust the police and take steps to hold their perpetrators accountable.
Stalking and Mental Torture
Jane, a 23-year-old woman (not her real name), faced six months of relentless stalking. A 50-year-old man from her band persistently contacted her online, followed her, and even threatened self-harm if she didn’t engage with him.
Jane described the experience as “mental torture,” saying she lived in fear, constantly looking over her shoulder and dreading any notification on her phone. Thanks to the intervention of the PSNI, the stalker was charged and a Stalking Protection Order was put in place, ensuring he would face prison time if he approached Jane again.
The Police’s Action Plan Against Domestic Abuse
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has launched a comprehensive framework to address violence against women and girls (VAWG), with a strong focus on combating domestic abuse.
The framework treats VAWG as seriously as terrorism and organised crime. The PSNI’s Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Action Plan, launched in September 2022, has already led to over 3,000 arrests under new legislation targeting domestic abuse, stalking, and non-fatal strangulation.
Since the action plan was introduced, an average of 80 arrests per month have been made for domestic abuse offences. In the past year, over 22,000 VAWG offences were recorded.
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The new five-year framework includes commitments to review past cases of sexual misconduct involving PSNI personnel and develop scrutiny panels for rape cases that resulted in “no prosecution” outcomes.
Detective Chief Superintendent Anthony McNally acknowledged that domestic abuse and femicide in Northern Ireland and across the world are at epidemic levels.
He said that while progress has been made in tackling VAWG, there is still significant work to be done. “We know that policing only sees the tip of the iceberg,” he said, urging women to report incidents of domestic abuse and violence.
