A CAMPAIGN was launched this morning by Derbyshire police in

a bid to raise awareness of domestic abuse.

As part of Operation Relentless, the launch kicked off a

week of activities, with the aim of encouraging people to

report incidents of abuse.

A major part of the campaign will be posters, which will be

displayed across the county and feature the picture of a coffin

with a wreath on top and the message “Hit 52 times, sent

flowers only once”.

During Operation Relentless, aimed at tackling

alcohol-related crime and domestic abuse, the police will also

be looking at ways of improving how they deal with domestic

abuse, with a focus on victim care.

Assistant Chief Constable Peter Goodman said: “There are

around 4,000 domestic abuse crimes recorded each year in

Derbyshire but we suspect that only tells half the story.

“We know from the work we do with victims, other agencies

and partners that domestic abuse has more repeat victims than

any other crime and on average, there will be 35 incidents

before a victim calls the police.

“This week is part of on-going work to highlight a crime

that can often remain hidden and out of sight. We hope the

message will be received loud and clear that perpetrators of

domestic abuse are not above the law.”

At the launch at Derbyshire police headquarters in Ripley,

victims of domestic violence spoke of their experiences in a

bid to encourage others to report similar incidents.

One 44-year-old woman, who did not want to be named, said

that leaving her abusive husband had been one of the hardest

things she had ever done.

She said: “It started gradually. He began by calling me fat,

then once we moved in together he began hitting me.

“It was mostly at weekends when he had been out watching the

football. It was worse when his team won. He would then drink

more and become more violent.”

The woman eventually broke free from her husband and was

referred to the Amber Valley and Erewash Support For Domestic

Abuse group.

She said: “I stood outside for half an hour before I got the

courage to walk through the door. Once I went in, I just burst

into tears. It was such a relief to talk to other women who had

been through the same thing.”

In Derby, police officers are piloting the use of a

dedicated response car for domestic abuse at weekends, which is

staffed by specially-trained officers.

PC Cathy Kelly and PC Andy Hulland have been taking part in

the scheme.

They visit victims, offer support and do their best to find

the perpetrators and take them to court.