What happens next?
When you report an incident of domestic abuse, an officer will
visit you either at your home or somewhere you feel safe.
Our first priority is to make sure you and any children who may
be present are safe.
Gathering information
The officer will then begin to gather information to help with
their investigation by asking you questions about what has
happened. Some of the questions may seem personal but your answers
will really help us form a clear picture.
This information will help the officer assess the risk posed to
you by the abuser and offer you the appropriate support and
protection.
We have a responsibility to make sure any children are kept safe
and will share information with Social Services so they can work to
protect you and your family.
The officer may also take a statement but he or she will be able
to talk you through this step by step.
With your permission we may also gather other evidence such as
medical records and take photographs of any injuries you have.
Your welfare
We can arrange for you to see a doctor if you are hurt and take you
and your children to a safe place such as a friend’s house or
refuge.
A domestic abuse
liaison officer is there to support anyone who has been
experiencing domestic abuse. There’s so much we can do to help.
Lucy Kelly, Domestic Abuse Liaison OfficerThe officer who visits you will complete a form based on the
information he or she has collected and pass this on to one of our
domestic abuse units.
We have a team of specially trained officers who work at these
units called Domestic Abuse Liaison Officers. Their role is to
offer immediate and long term support to those most at risk.
They can also put you in contact with local support
organisations. For more specific information about how our liaison
officers can help, visit our how we can help page.
If someone is arrested
Our officers take domestic abuse seriously. Although getting
justice is important to them, officers consider each case and the
wishes of people involved individually.
If someone is arrested they’ll be taken to a police station.
If they’re charged with a crime, they may be remanded in custody
to appear before the next available court or released on bail while
we complete our investigation. In certain circumstances we may be
able to attach bail conditions to protect you from further abuse
and intimidation.
If the abuser pleads guilty you won’t have to go to court but
you may be asked to give a victim impact statement describing the
effect the abuse has had on you. The magistrate will take this into
account when passing sentence.
I had to go to
court and be a witness against him. I got strong and went into the
court. I felt strong and proud of myself.
Domestic abuse survivor If the abuser pleads not guilty you may be required to go to
court to give evidence. We understand this is difficult but
arrangements can sometimes be made for you to do this behind a
screen or via video link so you don’t have to enter the court
room.
A witness care officer will contact you and make sure you
receive support, guidance and advice and are kept up to date with
progress at every step.
In some cases it may not be possible to take an abuser to court,
even if the victim supports it, but that doesn’t mean we can’t
help.
With your consent, our officers can put you in touch with other
agencies and support groups who understand your needs. You’ll find
a list of some of these organisations on the Help in Essex and Help in the UK
pages.
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