Police Issue Domestic Abuse Warning A Of England Versus Sweden Game
During the 2010 World Cup, the force received a
significant increase in people reporting domestic violence and
abuse whenever England played, peaking at 145 referrals on the day
England were knocked out by Germany, compared to a tournament low
of 44.
With England playing their first evening match of Euro
2012, the police and partner agencies, which provide support to
victims of domestic abuse, are warning of the consequences of such
abuse, especially when excessive drinking is involved.
Detective Superintendent Tim Keelan, from the force's
Public Protection Unit, said help was out there for victims and
offenders would be severely dealt with by the police.
He said: "Domestic abuse, whether it is physical or
verbal, is a terrible and damaging crime and one that the police
and other agencies out there are keen to reduce as much as
possible.
"Victims often feel a sense of shame or disloyalty
because they know their attacker and opt to suffer in silence
rather than seek help. Our message to them is don't. Don't be
afraid to tell someone. There is a lot of help out there both from
specialist officers within Merseyside Police and organisations such
as Woman's Aid and Drawaline.co.uk.
"I can assure you that what you tell us will be taken
seriously, you will be looked after and given the right kind of
care and support, and strong action will be taken against the
person responsible."
On the evening of England's match against France on
Monday, many of the calls made to Merseyside Police that were
domestic-related involved people who had drank excessive amounts of
alcohol. Although the majority of the calls did not involve people
who had been watching the match, a wide cross section of people
reported incidents to the police.
Det Supt Keelan added: "Domestic abuse is not just a
violent man hitting their wife or girlfriend. It can be the other
way round, or it can be incidents between relatives and different
generations of the same family. The abuse can be witnessed by
children, causing untold emotional damage to them, neighbours or
friends.
"Excessive drinking is often a common factor and with
Friday being the end of the working week for most people and
England playing their first evening game, people may drink more
than they normally would at home.
"I would warn anyone who drinks to excess and becomes
aggressive or violent that they face being arrested at the very
least, and possibly charged with a criminal offence. I would
encourage anyone who experiences domestic abuse to not suffer in
silence and find the courage to come forward and get the help you
deserve.
"I encourage the neighbours and friends of those that
suffer to tell us about it. People can contact Merseyside Police
and after explaining who they are and what the problem is, request
that the police do not call at their address if they're concerned
about the response of their neighbours - this is about protecting
the vulnerable people out there.