The whole team at Leeway were shocked and saddened by the death of Kerri McAuley in January. Kerri was attacked and killed by Joe Storey, the man described in court as her “on-off partnerâ€. This is exactly the type of tragedy that we work so hard to try to prevent. Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of Kerri who have had to relive the events of January throughout the recent trial.
In light of these awful events, Leeway were contacted by BBC News to talk about domestic abuse. A member of our team spoke to Look East about our work raising awareness of domestic abuse and coercive control.
Coercive Control
One way in which domestic abuse can occur is a scenario in which the abuser uses psychological mind games to instil anxiety and fear in a partner – making it harder for them to make the choice to leave. Coercive control can happen in violent relationships, as seems to be the case with Joe Storey’s manipulation of Kerri, but it can also be a factor in abusive relationships where violence is not part of the abuse.
Raising Awareness
In addition to our work directly supporting people who have experienced abuse, we have the enormously important task of raising awareness. By making sure that as many people as possible are aware of the signs of abuse, we hope that friends, colleagues and employers will recognise those signs in someone and point them in the direction of help.
Our Training Programmes
One way that we raise awareness is through our training programmes. Our experienced trainers deliver domestic abuse awareness training for businesses, health professionals and public sector workers. These courses are designed to equip you with the knowledge to identify signs of abuse and give you the confidence to help someone who is experiencing abuse by referring them to a place where they can get the relevant support.
If you would like any further information about our training programmes, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Call 0300 561 0077 and ask to speak to someone from the training department. Alternatively, you can email any questions to admin@leewaynwa.org.uk.
