Top Actress Lends Her Support to Police Conference

Guest speaker Lynda Bellingham and Detective Sergeant Sharon Avery at the Forced Marriage and Honour-Based Marriage ConferenceActress Lynda Bellingham is one of the guest speakers taking part in a conference about Forced Marriage and Honour Based Violence at West Mercia Police HQ today (4 December).

The actress, who is currently starring in Calendar Girls at the Festival Theatre, Malvern, is speaking to police professionals and other experts at Hindlip Hall about her own experiences of domestic abuse.

Other speakers at the event include; Superintendent Makhdum Chisty of Warwickshire Police, Lynne Townley from CPS (a member of the Ministry of Justice Murder Review Advisory Group and the Home Office Honour Based Violence Steering Group), as well as representatives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Forced Marriage Unit and Asian women’s groups and refuges.

Detective Sergeant Sharon Avery, said: “We are very pleased to have Lynda Bellingham supporting the conference and so many other professionals sharing their expertise. The general perception is that forced marriage and honour based violence are not really a problem in the West Mercia area but this type of crime is a taboo subject and often not reported to police. Victims can be very traumatised and need our help to regain control of their lives.

Crossing All Cultures

“We want to raise awareness of these important issues as well as tackling violence against women in the wider society. Any type of domestic abuse can be very isolating for the victim and they often feel they have no one to turn to. We want to make sure women know there is hope and they can ask for help – they are not alone. Domestic abuse crosses all cultures and can affect all communities.”

The Forced Marriage and Civil Protection Act came into effect last month and means courts have extra powers such as seizing passports and helping victims get protection orders.

"We want to make sure women know there is hope and they can ask for help – they are not alone."
Det Sgt Sharon Avery

West Mercia Police is supporting the international Sixteen Days of Action to End Violence Against Women in the run up to Christmas.

The campaign started on 25th November and is linked to the force’s ongoing Home Truths initiative which aims to highlight domestic abuse in local communities and raise awareness of the Crimestoppers anonymous reporting facility.

Protecting the public from harm is one of the force’s main priorities and West Mercia Police is committed to working with partner organisations to support victims of domestic abuse, reduce the number of offences and increase the number of culprits brought to justice.

Det Sgt Avery added: “We know some people are anxious about coming forward to report this type of domestic abuse incident and don’t always want to get involved. This is where Crimestoppers can be invaluable. It provides the caller with an opportunity to pass on their concerns while remaining anonymous if they choose. Just one call could make all the difference – it could potentially save a life. The main message is that domestic abuse impacts not only on individuals but also families, communities and society as a whole, however, by working together and ensuring early intervention a difference can really be made.”

Each police division across West Mercia has specially trained staff who can deal with this issue and there are also specialist domestic abuse courts in locations across West Mercia.

One in four women are likely to experience domestic violence at some point and one incident is reported to the police in Britain every minute. However this type of crime is hugely under reported (only 35% report rate) and around 15% of cases involve male victims. Honour Based Violence in the West Midlands region (which includes West Mercia) accounts for 14% of the reported cases in the UK. This is the second highest figure after the London area (23%).

Anyone who wishes to report a crime anonymously can call Crimestoppers 0800 555111. The national domestic abuse helpline number is 0808 2000 247.