Domestic abuse campaign launched

Operating under the umbrella of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership, Hartlepool Community Safety Team - which comprises staff from Hartlepool Borough Council, Cleveland Police and Cleveland Fire Brigade - has teamed up with domestic abuse charity Harbour to run a local 16 Days of Activism initiative.

Daily messages are to be posted on social media from November 25th (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) until December 10th (Human Rights Day) to highlight different aspects of domestic abuse.

The local initiative is part of the UN’s international16 Days of Activism campaign.

Statistics show that domestic abuse accounts for 16% of all violent crime and yet it is still the form of violent crime that is least likely to be reported to the police.

In Hartlepool, 28% of women who did report domestic abuse in 2017 reported more than one incident, with a number reporting between 10 and 21 incidents in 12 months.

Councillor Shane Moore, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council and Chair of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership, said: “Tackling domestic abuse in its various forms is a top priority for the Partnership, so I would encourage people to support this campaign by liking and sharing the social media posts using the hashtags #16days, #saferhartlepool and #DV.

“One in four women and one in six men will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lives, so there is a chance that someone you know could be helped by you sharing the information.”

Posts will be going out via the Council’s @HpoolCouncil Twitter account and its /hartlepoolcouncil Facebook page.

Further information about domestic abuse is available at www.hartlepool.gov.uk/domesticabuse