Free help for domestic abuse victims as charity launches

It will mean women and men who are being abused by their partners can get free help in obtaining an injunction almost immediately by calling a 24-hour hotline.

Cheshire police says it fully supports the services of the charity and officers will encourage victims to access the assistance it offers.

Detective Inspector Mark Tasker, of the Strategic Public Protection Unit, said: “Our top priority is the protection of victims. We think the NCDV has a lot to offer in terms of achieving that.

“There are already a great number of excellent services supporting domestic abuse victims throughout Cheshire, Halton and Warrington.

"The centre adds another string to the bow."

The charity NCDV began in 2002 as the London Centre for Domestic Violence. It now has offices all across the country.

It offers free help and legal advice to anyone – in 2006, more than 3,100 injunctions were obtained, most within 24 hours.

In practical terms, this means that victims who are ineligible for public funding, such as Legal Aid, can still get immediate support, free of charge, in the civil aspects of protection.

This in turn then supports the criminal process primarily because a breach of any injunction obtained is a criminal offence and abusers are made accountable for their actions through the criminal court system.

When people don’t qualify for public funding, the centre works with law students who are part of McKenzie friend training schemes in universities across the country.

The students attend court with victims of domestic abuse and help obtain the injunctions.

In circumstances where victims do qualify for Legal Aid, NCDV teams up with local solicitors to get cases through the court almost immediately.

The number for the NCDV is 08709 220704. The service operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

It is available to everyone in Cheshire, regardless of race, age, gender, sexual orientation or financial circumstances.