Abuse from family, partners, and ex-partners does happen in our communities. Galop is a safe space to talk and think about what you want away from pressure at home. We can help you to explore your options, plan to make you safer, look for safe housing and speak with the police.
Read Sol’s story
Sol’s partner had been very controlling and verbally abusive for about four years, always checking up on him while he was out with friends, calling him names in front of his family and workmates, and threatening to out him to his elderly parents. Sol finally phoned us for advice when a fight escalated to physical violence. Sol was very upset when he called and unsure what to do – he didn’t want anything bad to happen to his partner, but wanted to know what his options were for keeping himself safe and finding a new place to live. We talked with Sol and helped him to make a plan to stay safe, including taking copies of important papers and some money to a friend’s house for safekeeping. We also explained Sol’s legal options, including a protection order which would mean his partner would only have a criminal record if he chose to hurt Sol again.
Sol decided to take out a protection order, since he was fearful of further violence while he was deciding what to do next. We helped him to find a solicitor and went along to the first meeting. After this, Sol felt confident to carry on meeting with the solicitor alone. After making the order, Sol decided that he would like to live in a flat on his own, so through the Domestic Abuse Partnership we helped him to apply for council accommodation in a borough far from his partner.
Once Sol was living on his own, he felt like it might be useful to attend a support group to rebuild his self-esteem and learn more about positive relationships. He said, “I didn’t ever expect to be in a situation where I was afraid of my own partner. I didn’t really know what to do, and it was so helpful to have someone to talk to who didn’t make me feel embarrassed. The group has made me feel so much stronger. I’m happy to be getting my life back together!”
Note: we have not used actual names or images.
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