Declaring war on the home front

We’re holding a seminar this evening to highlight what is still for many, very much a “hidden”, never-to-be-talked-about issue, at the same time as being a huge problem.

In Wales alone last year, an estimated 81,000 adults aged 16 to 59 were the victim of domestic abuse. This includes 46,000 women and 35,000 men. *

The fact that men and women live in fear day in day out, and are victims and prisoners in their own homes simply isn’t acceptable in Wales today.

In representing doctors across the country, I think that healthcare professionals have a key role to play, not just in providing medical attention or treatment, but in identifying and referring victims early on. I hope tonight’s event will focus on the multi-agency approach which is needed to move this issue forward.

It will be very interesting to hear what the likes of the Social Justice Minister, Dr Brian Gibbons has to say, along with representatives from Welsh Women’s Aid, Gwent Police and the NSPCC.

I’ll post an update on here about how it all goes!

*British Crime Survey Jan 2009.