Richard Spencer recently publicly shared his story of domestic abuse at the hands of his wife Sheree, as part of a Channel 5 documentary My Wife, My Abuser: The Secret Footage.
Richard secretly recorded the incessant abuse on cameras installed at their home in East Yorkshire. Over a period of 20 years the pushing, shoving and slapping escalated and Sheree used methods of control, spat on Richard, locked him out of the house, defecated on him and was seen threatening him with a knife. The events often occurred whilst their children were present in the room.
The Judge described it as the worst case of controlling and coercive behaviour she had ever seen.
Unfortunately, Richard is not alone in his experience, and according to the National Centre for Domestic Violence, last year in the UK alone, 2.4 million adults were subjected to abuse, and a domestic abuse related call was made to the police every 30 seconds.
Disclosing abuse can be incredibly difficult. At Ellisons all our Family Lawyers undergo regular specialist training to identify abuse, create a safe space for clients and assist survivor clients sensitively alongside support agencies with the legal options available to them such as Non-Molestation Orders and Occupation Orders.
Our specialist family lawyers can review your specific circumstances, and we recommend obtaining advice at the earliest opportunity. We offer a free exploratory call so that we can match your specific needs with the right person in our family team. For more information or to arrange an appointment with a member of our Family Team, please contact us on 01206 764477. The team can offer advice at one of our offices in Colchester, Chelmsford, Frinton-on-Sea, Ipswich or Bury St Edmunds, or by telephone or video appointment. We are also proud to support Blue Light members and offer a discount on our initial fixed fee meeting.
