Stories of the abused at centre of new campaign

THE horror of domestic abuse will be highlighted in a campaign based on the accounts of women caught in a cycle of ­violence and explaining what the public can do about it.

The “Together We Can Stop It” initiative features recordings of case studies read by actors and will be released by Scottish Women’s Aid to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on its website (www.scottishwomensaid.co.uk).

The clips will be distributed on social media and made available for radio use. They were created with the help of student Brunon Rogowski at Edinburgh College, to record the stories behind the statistics. The winter campaign will have three phases with support from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, advocacy and support services, including Assist, and police forces.

Lily Greenan, manager of Scottish Women’s Aid, said: “Domestic abuse is about so much more than any one incident, we hear from women who tell us they and their families live in fear every day.

“Responses from the police and justice system are improving all the time, but we need everyone to play a part in ending domestic abuse.

“The support of friends and family is often what gives women the strength to seek help in the first place.”