Latest news with #refuge
The Independent
21 hours 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.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Husband who stabbed wife to death in the street as she pushed their baby in a pram told doctor 'he felt like he would kill her' more than a year before attack, court hears
A man who stabbed his wife to death in front of their baby after tracking her to a refuge told a doctor he 'felt like he would kill her' more than a year before the fatal attack, a court heard. Kulsuma Akter, 27, was killed by her husband Habibur Masum, 26, after he confronted her in the street while she was pushing their seven-month-old son in a pram on April 6 last year. Masum tracked Ms Akter to a refuge in Bradford, where she had been staying since January 2024, a trial has heard. She had moved to the refuge after Masum allegedly held a knife to her throat during an assault at their home in Oldham in November 2023. Giving evidence at Bradford Crown Court on Tuesday, Masum said the couple met and married in Bangladesh, and came to the UK in 2022 after he obtained a student visa and enrolled on a Masters course to study Marketing. The defendant, who gave evidence through a Bengali interpreter, said they initially had a long-distance relationship as he lived in Aylesbury while studying and she lived in Oldham with her brother. He told the court they had 'occasional disagreements or arguments' about when they should live together and she would 'block him' when she was angry. Masum said: 'I used to feel if I can't be with her I would die.' Jurors heard in August 2022 Masum was found by police at a tram station, where he had stayed all night after an argument with Ms Akter. He was taken to hospital where he told a doctor 'I feel like I would kill her' and said 'when he fights with her he feels like he is going to kill her'. Medical notes showed he 'disclosed thoughts to harm himself and his girlfriend and admitted to carrying a knife while having these thoughts'. Masum told the trial he had never carried a knife in Ms Akter's presence. Asked by his barrister Frida Hussain KC why he had made those comments at the hospital, he replied: 'I said: 'I feel I'm having some mental health issues and I would like to share something with the doctor'... I just wanted to share all that with the doctor.' The court heard he was advised to register with a GP and seek support from his university. Masum described feeling 'depressed', but said he never sought help from a GP. The court heard he and Ms Akter moved in together in September 2022 and there were still arguments. The scene in Westgate, Bradford on April 7 2024. A murder investigation was launched after Ms Akter was stabbed in Bradford city centre in broad daylight He said in July 2023 one of her brothers came to the UK and he objected to him staying with them because of 'privacy and space issues'. The court heard on July 5 Ms Akter had left after an argument and was staying with family members, who called the police saying Masum was threatening to kill himself if she did not return. Asked if he was looking for a knife to do something to himself, Masum said: 'Yes.' He later denied thoughts of self-harm when the police attended, it was said. Jurors heard Ms Akter returned and their child was born in September. Masum said after Ms Akter and their son moved following the alleged assault in November, he was 'depressed a lot'. The defendant said: 'I used to think a lot about my son. I was separated from my son and I was missing him a lot. 'I also used to think about my wife. I was thinking I hadn't done anything to her, why had she separated me from my son.' Masum said he was unable to focus on work or looking after himself and was having suicidal thoughts, adding: 'I thought if I ended my life I wouldn't struggle with this constant pain of missing them.' Masum will continue his evidence on Wednesday. He denies murdering Ms Akter but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of a knife. He also denies two charges of assault, one count of making threats to kill and one charge of stalking.
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Man who stabbed wife in front of baby told doctor he ‘felt he would kill her'
A man who stabbed his wife to death in front of their baby after tracking her to a refuge told a doctor he 'felt like he would kill her' more than a year before the fatal attack, a court heard. Kulsuma Akter, 27, was killed by her husband Habibur Masum, 26, after he confronted her in the street while she was pushing their seven-month-old son in a pram on April 6 last year. A trial has heard Masum tracked Ms Akter to a refuge in Bradford, where she had been staying since January 2024 after he allegedly held a knife to her throat during an assault at their home in Oldham in November 2023. Giving evidence at Bradford Crown Court on Tuesday, Masum said the couple met and married in Bangladesh, and came to the UK in 2022 after he obtained a student visa and enrolled on a Masters course to study Marketing. The defendant, who gave evidence through a Bengali interpreter, said they initially had a long-distance relationship as he lived in Aylesbury while studying and she lived in Oldham with her brother. He told the court they had 'occasional disagreements or arguments' about when they should live together and she would 'block him' when she was angry. Masum said: 'I used to feel if I can't be with her I would die.' Jurors heard in August 2022 Masum was found by police at a tram station, where he had stayed all night after an argument with Ms Akter. He was taken to hospital where he told a doctor 'I feel like I would kill her' and said 'when he fights with her he feels like he is going to kill her'. Medical notes showed he 'disclosed thoughts to harm himself and his girlfriend and admitted to carrying a knife while having these thoughts'. Masum told the trial he had never carried a knife in Ms Akter's presence. Asked by his barrister Frida Hussain KC why he had made those comments at the hospital, he replied: 'I said: 'I feel I'm having some mental health issues and I would like to share something with the doctor'… I just wanted to share all that with the doctor.' The court heard he was advised to register with a GP and seek support from his university. Masum described feeling 'depressed', but said he never sought help from a GP. The court heard he and Ms Akter moved in together in September 2022 and there were still arguments. He said in July 2023 one of her brothers came to the UK and he objected to him staying with them because of 'privacy and space issues'. The court heard on July 5 Ms Akter had left after an argument and was staying with family members, who called the police saying Masum was threatening to kill himself if she did not return. Asked if he was looking for a knife to do something to himself, Masum said: 'Yes.' He later denied thoughts of self-harm when the police attended, it was said. Jurors heard Ms Akter returned and their child was born in September. Masum said after Ms Akter and their son moved following the alleged assault in November, he was 'depressed a lot'. The defendant said: 'I used to think a lot about my son. I was separated from my son and I was missing him a lot. 'I also used to think about my wife. I was thinking I hadn't done anything to her, why had she separated me from my son.' Masum said he was unable to focus on work or looking after himself and was having suicidal thoughts, adding: 'I thought if I ended my life I wouldn't struggle with this constant pain of missing them.' Masum will continue his evidence on Wednesday. He denies murdering Ms Akter but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and possession of a knife. He also denies two charges of assault, one count of making threats to kill and one charge of stalking.
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Iranians seek temporary refuge in neighboring Turkey as conflict with Israel escalates
GURBULAK BORDER CROSSING, Turkey — At a border crossing between Turkey and Iran , Shirin Talebi was anxiously waiting on Monday for her children and grandchildren to arrive from Tehran. The family are planning to stay for a month or two in Turkey, seeking temporary refuge from the conflict between Israel and Iran.
