If you have been abused

If you are suffering domestic violence and abuse you may want to use all or some of the following options:

In an emergency – for example, if you are being threatened with violence or attacked, or are in fear of this, then call 999 immediately.

If domestic violence or abuse has happened to you, whether you have been physically injured or not, call the police on 0845 600 8000. The police have Domestic Violence Officers who can give specialist advice and support.

Contact the 24-Hour Domestic Violence Helpline free on 0800 917 1414.  A landline call does not show on the caller’s bill. Language line for non-English speaking callers and Textphone for hearing-impaired people are available. The 24-hour helpline is open to anyone affected by domestic violence.

Contact a solicitor who can help you get a court order that can give you and your home extra protection.  If you do not have a solicitor, telephone the Law Society of Northern Ireland on 028 90231614. This will give you a list of family law solicitors in your area.

Contact Victim Support Northern Ireland, which offers a range of free services to the victims of all types of crime. The Victim Support line is 028 90244039 (office hours) or 0845 303 0900 (out of office hours).

Contact a local domestic violence support group, for example: Women’s Aid, Men’s Advisory Project, Rainbow Project or Belfast Lesbian Line. They can offer advice, counselling, information, or even alternative accommodation. Contact numbers for these organisations are listed at the end of the leaflet “The Law can Help” (PDF 1.2mb).

Contact your local Housing Executive office or the Homeless Advice Centre on 028 90240588.

Tell a relative, friend or neighbour about your concerns and ask them to help you take action.