Redcar charity EVA Women’s Aid (Emerging from Violence and Abuse) are opening a new safe haven for female victims of domestic abuse. The project differs from others however, because it is designed specifically for older women – the first in the UK to do this.
Speaking in the Northern Echo, Richinda Taylor from the charity stated that Redcar and Cleveland is an area with a demographic which requires this type of shelter, as it has a proportion of residents over 45 that is higher than the national average.
The charity already has two properties in the area that house women who are victims of domestic abuse. They found however, that the older women would often take on a role of looking after the younger victims, which would cause them to neglect their own problems and be detrimental to their situation.
Richinda said that she was excited about the new safe haven, and that the charity has been in touch with similar organisations across the UK about the idea, and that discussions about creating the same type of shelters elsewhere had begun.
The project is aimed at women who are over 45 and in abusive relationships. The charity reported that they have given support to women in their eighties who have been in abusive relationships for years, often without realising, or who were unable to recognise their partner’s controlling behaviour as abuse.
Richinda says that control is a big part of the domestic violence that women suffer: “They may be very loving at first, but it can turn into years of psychological control. Women start to believe they’ll never make it on their own.”
“Many women don’t even realise they’re in an abusive relationship. We’ve got women in their eighties who have been living with abuse for 50 or 60 years but haven’t recognised it.”
The house has places for four women, and is able to provide them with temporary emergency accommodation. It will be in a secret location in the Redcar and Cleveland area and will open at the end of January. EVA’s website can be accessed here.
Amanda Adeola a family solicitor from Macks welcomes the new refuge. She comments that ‘EVA is a wonderful charity doing a great thing for our community. They are dispelling the myth that older people do not suffer from domestic abuse when in fact it is a reality but older victims live with the abuse because they have not known any different, are too afraid to leave and the thought of starting their life afresh at their age is a scary prospect. I would urge everyone in our community to support EVA and to donate to this worthy cause so in 2015 when you are thinking of a charity to raise funds for, let EVA be one of them.’
Macks Solicitors have a team of specialist divorce solicitors covering Teesside, County Durham and North Yorkshire.
Source: Northern Echo
