How one call can make all the difference
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As part of our continued support for the White Ribbon campaign and 16 days of action against gender based violence, hear from Sergeant Fern Spellman about an incident of domestic abuse and how our response made all the difference:
It’s New Year’s Day and we receive a call from a child in fear.
She whispers: “Help, domestic abuse.” into the phone and clears the line. The call handlers know this may be a matter of life and death, so they use their skills to quickly pinpoint the caller’s location.
Officers rush to the scene. Though addresses and people can be checked on databases, they can never be completely sure what they are about to walk into. When they arrive, the suspect has already fled, so they start to talk to the woman and her children present in the house.
What emerges is the history of a family that has been physically and psychologically abused for years at the hands of a violent and manipulative man. Our investigation would go on to see the abuser charged and jailed for years.
Sergeant Fern Spellman, who led the investigation, said:
“Honestly, I was holding back tears when I took the victim personal statements from the children. The team ensured that we left no stone unturned.
When we submitted all of the relevant paperwork to the Crown Prosecution Service, thankfully, they agreed that the perpetrator needed to be held in custody until his court date. He made numerous bail applications, but these were denied.
Thanks to the undeniable braveness of the family and tireless work from Sergeant Spellman, Sergeant Grassby and their team, the abuser was jailed for a considerable period and given a ten year restraining order.
He was described by the judge as a bully with the need to control everything. Sgt Spellman continues:
"I remember thinking; ‘He cannot be let out now. You just feel this sense of, ‘I have to get justice for this family’, and I did. You really care and want to help them through it.
“As police officers there’s not much we haven’t seen or dealt with, but when you’re taking witness statements from young children and they’re really struggling as they re-tell what they’ve been through, there will never not be a time where that doesn’t really get to you.
“I want people to know that there is support available. We’re here to help, and if you need us, we’ll do everything in our power to keep you safe and get justice on your behalf.”
For more information on the guidance and support available for people who are victims of domestic abuse, please visit the domestic abuse pages on our website.