Domestic Abuse

Domestic Abuse is when your partner or any other family member abuses you psychologically, emotionally, physically, sexually or financially. It can be one single incident or repeated abuse but usually it is a pattern of behaviour. If you feel intimidated by or frightened of your partner to the point where you feel that you have to change your behaviour you may be experiencing domestic abuse.

Sexual Violence includes child sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, prostitution, female genital mutilation, rape etc. Whenever it happened, whether repeated or a single incident, if it is against your will it is not acceptable.

If you feel that your partner is intimidating you, if you're afraid that your partner's reaction will be aggressive or if you have been affected by sexual abuse then pick up the phone and call one of the local agencies listed below, who provide support to both men and women 9am-5pm:

• Calan DVS (Amman Valley) - 01269 597474
• CarmDas (Carmarthen) - 01267 238410
• Threshold DAS (Llanelli) - 01554 752422
• Goleudy - 0300 123 2996

Out of these hours, or if you need emergency accommodation, contact the free, confidential, 24 hour all Wales telephone helpline:

• Live Fear Free - 0808 80 10 800

In an emergency call the police on 999.

If you answer 'Yes' to any of the following questions you could be in an abusive relationship or your relationship could become abusive.

Domestic Homicide Review

Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) came into effect on 13 April 2011 and were established on a statutory basis under Section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act (2004). Community Safety Partnerships are responsible for establishing DHRs where the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by a relative, a member of the same household or someone with whom they were in an intimate personal relationship with.

The purpose of a DHR is to:

1. establish what lessons are to be learned from the domestic homicide regarding the way in which local professionals and organisations work individually and together to safeguard victims
2. identify clearly what those lessons are both within and between agencies, how and within what timescales they will be acted on, and what is expected to change as a result
3. apply these lessons to service responses, including changes to inform national and local policies and procedures as appropriate
4. prevent domestic violence and homicide and improve service responses for all domestic violence and abuse victims and their children by developing a co-ordinated multi-agency approach to ensure that domestic abuse is identified and responded to effectively at the earliest opportunity.

The purpose of a DHR is not to examine why someone died or who is to blame. It is in addition to any inquest or other form of enquiry into a homicide.

Once a DHR has been completed and approval received from the Home Office quality assurance panel, the overview report and executive summary is made publicly available for a limited period.