Latest news with #Refuge
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Angela Rayner praises ‘amazing' Independent Brick by Brick campaign as family fleeing abuse get safe haven
Angela Rayner has praised The Independent 's 'amazing' Brick by Brick campaign after the first family fleeing domestic abuse moved into a home it built. The deputy prime minister said she was heartened by the success of the campaign and urged backers to continue supporting it to go from strength to strength. Construction on two purpose-built safe houses was completed earlier this year, and now a survivor of abuse has been handed the keys to their new home – and a fresh start. The hugely successful campaign, launched in partnership with leading domestic abuse charity Refuge, was backed by readers, politicians, royalty and celebrities when it launched in September last year. Speaking to The Independent on Thursday, Ms Rayner said: 'Because the feelings of relief I read about from those first movers encapsulates what a house can mean to people – it's not just a home but a sanctuary. 'Supporting vulnerable families and their children into safe and secure housing is a matter that I hold close to my heart. That's why this government is injecting millions of pounds of funding so domestic abuse survivors can access lifesaving support when they need it the most. 'Just today I announced that we're rewriting the rules to ensure domestic abuse survivors do not face unfair barriers when trying to access social housing when they have had to move to a new area. 'I will continue to work day and night to make sure more families can have a safe roof over their head and I am proud this campaign is leading by example.' The first occupant, who must remain anonymous for safety reasons, said: "As soon as I walked in, it felt warm, safe and homely. It's the first time I had slept properly in months. 'The children are the happiest they have been for a long time." The new semi-detached houses, built by Persimmon Homes, are in a secret location to protect survivors. They have two double-sized bedrooms, open-plan kitchens and built-in cupboard storage space, as well as solar panels on the roof and a private drive with off-road parking. The homes also include a number of safety features, including CCTV, a fireproof letterbox, and enhanced locking on windows and doors. Geordie Greig, editor-in-chief of The Independent, said: 'This is significant because it helps the most vulnerable people who are in danger of their lives being severely damaged by abuse. 'It's permanent because we aim to build a house that will be there for generations as a sanctuary to safeguard these people who are on the run, from situations which are dangerous and life-threatening.' After the 10,946 bricks were laid, an all-female team of decorators added the finishing touches to the property to make it a true home for those seeking refuge. Every new family will receive a welcome pack with a variety of items such as essential toiletries. Children will also receive new toys and books to help them settle in. To help the house feel more welcoming, the team used bright, airy colours to help 'ignite that feeling of wellbeing, freedom and moving on'. Refuge staff will provide emotional support and legal advice to the families, and will aid women with safety preparations, budgeting, debt planning, benefits applications and finding nurseries and schools. As the house will see many survivors pass through it, Refuge will carry out maintenance and a deep clean between each family. The Independent's Brick by Brick campaign was launched in September 2024 in response to the UK's domestic abuse crisis. Thousands of women across the UK face danger in their own homes, but a woman is turned away from a refuge every two hours due to a lack of space. The Independent heard testimony from a range of survivors, including women who were beaten and lost children, friends and jobs.
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
First family fleeing abuse get keys to The Independent's safe haven
A safe haven built by The Independent's Brick by Brick campaign is now officially home to a family fleeing domestic abuse. Construction of the purpose-built safe houses was completed earlier this year, and now a survivor of abuse has been handed the keys to the new home - and a fresh start. The hugely successful campaign, launched in partnership with leading domestic abuse charity Refuge, was backed by readers, politicians, royalty and celebrities when it launched in September 2024. When the initial target of £300,000 was reached after just a month of fundraising, The Independent decided to build a second house with over £585,619 raised in total by our generous readers. The first occupant of the houses, who has to remain anonymous for safety reasons, said: "As soon as I walked in, it felt warm, safe and homely. It's the first time I had slept properly in months. 'The children are the happiest they have been for a long time." The new semi-detached houses, built by Persimmon Homes, are in a secret location to protect survivors. They have two double-sized bedrooms, open-plan kitchens and built-in cupboard storage space, as well as a private drive with off-road parking and solar panels on the roof. The homes also include a number of safety features, including CCTV, a fireproof letter box and enhanced locking on windows and doors. Geordie Greig, editor-in-chief of The Independent, said: 'This is significant because it helps the most vulnerable people who are in danger of their lives being severely damaged by abuse. 'It's permanent because we aim to build a house that will be there for generations as a sanctuary to safeguard these people who are on the run, from situations which are dangerous and life-threatening.' After the 10,946 bricks were laid, an all-female team of decorators added the finishing touches to the property to make it a true home for those seeking refuge. Every new family coming into the home will receive a welcome pack with a variety of items such as essential toiletries and key things they'll need for their first few days in the house. Children will also receive new toys and books to help them settle in. To help the house feel more welcoming, the team has used bright, airy colours to help 'ignite that feeling of well-being, freedom and moving on'. During a family's stay, Refuge staff will provide emotional support and legal advice, and will support women with safety planning, budgeting, finding a safe new home, dealing with debt, applying for welfare benefits, accessing health services, and finding nurseries and schools. As the house will see many survivors pass through it, Refuge will carry out maintenance and a deep clean between each family. The houses were funded by The Independent's Brick by Brick campaign, which was launched in September 2024 in response to the nationwide domestic abuse crisis. Thousands of women across the UK face danger in their own homes, but a woman is turned away from a refuge every two hours due to a lack of space or capacity. The Queen, Sir Keir Starmer, Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Joanna Lumley, Olivia Colman, Victoria Derbyshire, Andi Oliver, David Morrissey and Sir Patrick Stewart were among those to offer their support for the campaign. The Independent heard testimony from a wide range of survivors, including women who were beaten, lost their jobs, friends and children, while others were simply too terrified to leave.
Metro
3 days ago
- Metro
Man who tortured woman 'made her phone mum to say goodbye' during 10-hour ordeal
A woman who was tortured for ten hours after being kept against her will told a court she thought she was going to die during the ordeal. 46-year-old Tommy Hitt from Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, kept his victim at his property against her will, assaulted her numerous times and shaved her head. Hitt has now been jailed for 21.5 years at Winchester Crown Court after previously pleading guilty to multiple domestic violence offences. The victim has released shocking injury photos via police, showing the long-lasting physical and psychological injuries, including damage to her face, permanent damage to her eyes, teeth and arm. In an impact statement, the victim said: 'I can't get the words he said to me out of my head, about killing me. I can't walk down the road without looking over my shoulder. Everything has changed. 'He beat me up for about 9 and a half hours. If I hadn't managed to get away, he would have killed me. 'He told me that I had to ring my mum to say goodbye and for her to say goodbye to me because he was going to kill me. I was dying that night. I keep hearing those words.' Hitt had charges including intentional strangulation, false imprisonment and grievous bodily harm with intent. He was also convicted of sexual assault, threats to kill and assault causing actual bodily harm. Hitt was also convicted of criminal damage to property valued under £5000 and possession of a class B drug. He was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £228 and was made the subject of a restraining order. The victim, who has not been named, asked police to release the images of her injuries in the hope that other victims may seek support. Speaking after the case, DC James Gatherum, of Central CID, said: 'In the late evening of February 21, 2025, Wiltshire Police received a 999 call to an address in Shaw. 'A woman answered the door with significant and very pronounced injuries. This was the beginning of the end of a 10-hour ordeal at the hands of Tommy Hitt. The victim was kept at an address against her will, with her mobile phone deliberately damaged by him. One in 4 women will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lives ONS research revealed that, in 2023, the police recorded a domestic abuse offence approximately every 40 seconds Yet Crime Survey for England & Wales data for the year ending March 2023 found only 18.9% of women who experienced partner abuse in the last 12 months reported the abuse to the police According to Refuge, 84% of victims in domestic abuse cases are female, with 93% of defendants being male Safe Lives reports that disabled women are twice as likely to experience domestic abuse as non-disabled women, and typically experience domestic abuse for a longer period of time before accessing support Refuge has also found that, on average, it takes seven attempts before a woman is able to leave for good. 'Hitt strangled her and assaulted her with such force that he fractured her eye socket, leaving her with extensive bruising and swelling. She has lasting damage to both her retinas and has lost a number of teeth. More Trending 'The victim was also sexually assaulted twice during those 10 hours, with threats being made by Hitt that he would kill her. To add further degradation to the victim, Hitt forcibly shaved her hair off,' he added. 'He then drove her to another location, and while doing so, repeatedly assaulted her within the vehicle. Fortunately, with quick thinking, the victim managed to escape, and she was able to raise the alarm. 'I would like to thank her for her incredible bravery in reporting the offences to the police, staying on board throughout the criminal justice process and speaking of her traumatic experience.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Former Tory MP admits harassing ex-wife with messages and voice note MORE: Man jailed for 39 years after killing partner and neighbour in Christmas Day attack MORE: Man murdered girlfriend, 21, decapitated her then pretended to be her
The Guardian
13-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
EHRC urged to extend consultation on post-supreme court ruling gender guidance
More than 20 leading charities and service providers have urged the equalities watchdog to extend a consultation to devise guidance on the landmark supreme court ruling about gender, saying the current timetable is too rushed for proper engagement. In a letter seen by the Guardian, organisations including Refuge, the UK's largest charity for women affected by domestic abuse, and the mental health charity Mind, say the six-week consultation risked creating 'rushed' guidance. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is drawing up an updated code of practice on how public bodies should react to April's court decision that 'woman' in the Equality Act refers only to a biological woman. It is intended to set out to businesses and those running public spaces how the ruling affects single-sex spaces such as toilets and changing rooms, building on initial advice issued soon after the ruling. As part of the process, the EHRC is inviting people and organisations potentially affected to submit views in a consultation. This was originally scheduled to last two weeks, but extended to six after the Commons women and equalities committee expressed concerns. The joint letter, signed by a series of charities and service providers working with women and LGBTQ+ people and in the mental health sector, also including Samaritans, Solace Women's Aid, Women in Prison, the Association of Mental Health Providers and Mental Health UK, calls for this period to be extended again to 12 weeks. The supreme court's ruling would 'have major implications' for service providers, public bodies and businesses, the letter says, adding that it was vital the new code 'is robust, trusted, and balanced'. 'The proposed changes will likely have far-reaching consequences for our services and require gathering input from many different stakeholders and experts, including people who use our services,' it says. 'Responding to a consultation of this complexity requires time and resources that cannot always be easily found while we are delivering vital services. 'Six weeks is inadequate to allow meaningful engagement with those affected by the proposed code of practice … We do not want rushed guidance which risks being unlawful and leads us to inadvertently discriminate against people with protected characteristics.' The rights group Liberty attempted to take legal action to force the EHRC to extend the consultation period, but this was refused by a high court judge on Friday. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Responding to that decision, Kishwer Falkner, the EHRC's chair, said her organisation's approach 'has been fair and appropriate throughout'. She said: 'Our six-week consultation period represents a balance between gathering comprehensive stakeholder input and addressing the urgent need for clarity. We're particularly encouraged by the thousands of consultation responses already received and look forward to further meaningful engagement through the rest of the process. 'The current climate of legal uncertainty and widespread misinformation serves nobody, particularly those with protected characteristics who rightly expect clarity about their rights. A swift resolution to this uncertainty will benefit everyone, including trans people.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cassie Ventura gives birth just days after testifying in Diddy trial
Cassie Ventura has reportedly given birth just days after testifying at Sean 'Diddy' Combs's trial. She and husband Alex Fine have welcomed their third child, a source close to the family told ABC News. They share two daughters together, and confirmed they were expecting their third baby in a February Instagram post. The Independent has reached out to a representative for Ventura for comment. Ventura, 38, took the stand at the start of Combs's trial just two weeks ago, testifying about their tumultuous on-again, off-again relationship. She has served as a star witness in the government's sex trafficking case against Combs. On the stand, Ventura testified about 'freak offs' as she tearfully recounted the years of abuse. Fine attended the trial in support of his wife and released a statement after her four days of testimony concluded. 'I have felt so many things sitting there,' Fine said. 'I have felt tremendous pride and overwhelming love for Cass. I have felt profound anger that she has been subjected to sitting in front of a person who tried to break her. You did not break her spirit nor her smile.' Fine, 32, began dating Ventura while she was still in an on-again, off-again relationship with Combs. The two eventually married in 2019 and are now expecting their third child together. Ventura told jurors during her testimony that her husband's love and support were instrumental in helping her process the physical, sexual, and psychological abuse she experienced while with Combs. In a particularly emotional moment, Ventura tearfully recounted how she felt suicidal after Combs allegedly raped her in 2018, but Fine intervened. In his statement, Fine refused to take credit for saving Ventura. 'I did not save Cassie, as some have said. To say that is an insult to the years of painful work my wife has done to save herself. Cassie saved Cassie,' Fine said. 'She alone broke free from abuse, coercion, violence and threats. She did the work of fighting the demons that only a demon himself could have done to her. All I have done is love her as she has loved me," he added. Fine said Ventura's testimony marks the end of a 'horrific chapter,' and that he and Ventura will not be making additional statements on the case. Ventura also released her own statement, through her lawyer, calling the four-day testimony 'extremely challenging,' 'remarkably empowering,' and 'healing.' 'I hope that my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors, and can help others who have suffered to speak up and also heal from abuse and fear,' Ventura said. The national domestic abuse helpline offers support for women on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit the Refuge website. There is a dedicated men's advice line on 0808 8010 327. Those in the US can call the domestic violence hotline on 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via
