Responding to a domestic abuse call
To mark National Volunteers Week, Special Constable Nina Johnson* describes a night of volunteering she'll remember for ever
It was dark when we arrived around 10pm. We couldn’t find the entrance at
first - neither could the paramedics. Eventually we found the door down a dark
alleyway and across a narrow rear yard.
We knocked. No answer. We knocked again.
A figure appeared behind the glass panel and unlocked the door. I could
only see her silhouette, framed by a dim light from the kitchen behind her. She
spoke, but I couldn’t make out her words. Then she turned her face to the light
and I understood why.
Jennifer’s* eyelids were purple and swollen; her top lip was split in
half right up to her nose. My insides were churning as I tried to comprehend
why anyone would do such a thing; a mixture of anger, empathy, incredulity and
urgency all rose within me.
But I had to control my emotions. I’m a Special Constable and the role
requires resilience. I have to remain calm and professional, especially in a
situation like this.
As gently as possible, I asked her: “Who did this to you?”
With a shaking arm she pointed at a photograph of her and her husband
on their wedding day. They both looked so happy in the picture.
I stayed with Jennifer while the ‘regular’ officer I was crewed with checked
the flat for any sign of her husband. My radio crackled into life as I heard
him update the control room:
“Paramedics are on scene. We’ll need CSI attendance. The bedroom is
covered with blood.”
Special support
Special support
While the paramedics attended to Jenifer’s wounds, she and I
communicated on pen and paper. I learnt some basic details: her husband’s name
and the pub he was likely to be at.
We couldn’t talk for long. She needed urgent medical attention and was
quickly put in the ambulance to be transported to hospital.
As the ambulance left, Jennifer’s friend Tanya* arrived. It was Tanya who
had called the police. She told me she had spoken to Jennifer on the phone
earlier that evening, but could barely understand what she was trying to say.
From Jennifer’s muffled sounds, Tanya just about made out that Jennifer was at
home and badly hurt. So she hung up, called 999 and drove straight to
Jennifer’s to help.
From Tanya, I learnt that Jennifer’s husband had been aggressive towards
his wife before, and it got worse when he was drunk.
Later that night - outside the pub where Jennifer said he would be -
her husband was arrested.
When interviewed back at the station, he admitted beating his wife and
was remanded in custody until trial, where he ultimately received a suspended sentence.
When asked why he'd done it, he said it was because she spent too
much money redecorating.
A few days later Jennifer had surgery to reconstruct her top lip.
'I'll never forget'
I’d only been a Special Constable a few months when I responded to Tanya’s
call about her friend Jennifer. I won’t ever forget it.
I often wonder what happened next. I hope she is safe and has moved on
with her life; I hope she took advantage of the support on offer to help heal
the emotional scars, which often endure way beyond any physical ones.
I began my shift the night of Jennifer’s attack with no idea how the
evening would turn out. That’s often the way it goes. In the midst of such a
horrible situation I’m glad I was able to be there for her; and I’m pleased she
had a friend who cared about her enough to call emergency services.
When I signed up to become a Special, like most people who join, I
wanted to protect the vulnerable and catch criminals. I think my colleagues and
I achieved our goal that night. I’d recommend it to anyone.
If you are affected by domestic abuse, please ask for help. Call us on
999 in an emergency.
Apply to become a Special Constable and help people like Jennifer.
For non-urgent help and advice about the issues in this blog, visit the domestic abuse section of the Kent Police website.
*Names have been changed to protect the victim
