Gay domestic abuse 'suffered in silence'

Published on Saturday 24 October 2009 19:56

THOUSANDS of gay people are not reporting domestic abuse because they fear being outed in the courts, police believe.

Senior officers yesterday said victims of violence in same-sex relationships are still not coming forward, despite a major drive to engage with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Last year there were around 1,000 reported domestic abuse cases in same-sex couples in Scotland, but police say the true figure could be as high as 4,000.

Detective Chief Inspector Peter McPike of Strathclyde's Domestic Abuse Task Force said: "We believe lots of domestic violence is not reported in the LGBT community because there is a fear of outing."

McPike's unit was set up in February to handle the most serious cases of domestic violence in Strathclyde and has targeted around 70 serial abusers.

But McPike and his colleagues are determined to find the most hard to reach victims, who include gay men who have not come out and Asian women suffering "honour violence". Police believe their efforts will lead to a dramatic increase in reported violence.

McPike said: "Last year there were 50,000 incidents in Scotland. Only a thousand or so involved people from the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender community. Up to one in ten people are LGBT and we think domestic abuse is roughly as prevalent in the LGBT community as elsewhere. That suggests there could be about 4,000 unreported incidents, but we don't know for sure."

The team has now set up a system through which victims can report an assault anonymously or through a third party online. Such reports cannot secure a prosecution, but they can help build the abused person's confidence and provide crucial intelligence about abusers.

McPike said: "People can now tell us things in confidence. People don't always want the police turning up at their doors with flashing blue lights. We need to build up the trust of people in the LGBT community. We want them to know that we would never take any action that would expose the victim."

Mhairi McGowan, of Assist, the government agency that helps victims at Scotland's only domestic abuse court, in Glasgow, said: "People like Peter McPike have got a real struggle on their hands because there are an awful lot of men who are still very wary about going through the courts or police."

Pamela Clocherty, of LGBT Youth, a body helping the police task force with training, yesterday said early research found gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people were about as likely to suffer domestic abuse. "The figure, we think, is about one in four, but only a fraction of that is reported."

Official incidents of domestic violence in Strathclyde show that 85 per cent involve men abusing female partners, 12 per cent women abusing men, with just 3 per cent involving same-sex relationships. Separate research in England two years ago found that four out of five LGBT victims of domestic abuse did not make reports.

'He became obsessive and controlling'

David, 27: "Initially, I thought it was just a sign of strong, romantic interest. Anthony would call too frequently or show up unexpectedly. In hindsight, those were warning signs. After he moved in he became obsessive and controlling. To get me away from my previous life, friends and sex partners we moved to a different city where I knew no-one except him. I became isolated and scared. Then the violence began, with him punching me in the face for talking to someone I used to date. I became ashamed about being gay, about being attractive and about having sexual desires. It was like going back in the closet.

"Fear pervaded my life until I confided in someone and left. Anthony stalked me but I moved to another city and started a new life. But I still feel wounded."