Women fleeing violent partners are turned away from safe house

ALTHOUGH still below the national average, the number of domestic abuse cases reported to police in the Borders nearly doubled in the four years to 2006/07, the latest date for which figures are available.

Yet occupancy at the region’s only refuge for fleeing female victims – run by Jedburgh-based charity Border Women’s Aid – was at an all-time low.

The chairman of the charity’s management committee revealed there had been occasions recently when the safe house, although not full, could not accept new residents because of staff shortages.

The contract between BWA, which also offers a children’s support service, and Scottish Borders Council, which spent £74,000 on the charity last year, was due to end yesterday, but has been extended on a temporary basis until November 1.

“This is to allow BWA to be fully operationally prepared to deliver an alternative model of service and to tender for the new service,” said David Cressey, SBC’s head of housing and social work strategy.

The escalation of violence against women is revealed in a weighty baseline services review, compiled by Andrea Beavon, SBC’s former domestic abuse coordinator, who has since moved to a job with NHS Borders.

It shows that in 2006/07 there were 659 domestic abuse cases reported to police in the Borders, compared to 333 in 2002/03. In nearly 90 per cent of these incidents, the victims were women and the perpetrators were men.

Yet in the year to April 2007, just 215 cases resulted in a court prosecution.

Mrs Beavon observed: “The nature of domestic abuse means eye witnesses are rare or reluctant to come forward.

“Even when women are happy with the arrest and charging of the abuser, they may be unwilling or unable to cooperate with the prosecution.

“The non-cooperation of women survivors with the criminal justice process continues to be source of frustration for procurators fiscal.”

The BWA refuge, leased from the Scottish Borders Housing Association, can accommodate up to five women and 12 children at one time and is, according to Mrs Beavon, “well furnished, comfortable and welcoming”.

Yet, in 2007, the number of women residing there fell to an all-time low of 17 and it was only fully occupied on 43 nights. The average stay per victim went up from 20 nights in 1997 to 65 a decade on.

The report says 19 of the women supported by BWA in the last three years were from an ethnic minority background.

BWA’s management committee chairman Richard Gordon admitted yesterday recent staff shortages had meant some women fleeing abuse could not be accommodated, despite the facility not running at full capacity.

“In these instances, we refer these victims to other support services, including SBC’s excellent homelessness service.”

He said several staff, including the manager and some support staff, along with two committee members, had recently left BWA, but he denied this was due to excessive interference from SBC.
“He who pays the piper calls the tune and, at the end of the day, our main concern is to provide a safe haven for women escaping violent or mental abuse,” said Mr Gordon.

“Of course, I would like BWA to continue to perform that role, but if it goes to another provider, then so be it, provided there is not dimunition of service.”

He said a new manager was due to be appointed later this month and he was confident all staffing issues would be addressed prior to the tendering deadline.

Mr Cressey told TheSouthern: “SBC has for a number of years contracted support services for women fleeing domestic violence to BWA.

“As part of our regular monitoring and liaison with BWA we have been aware of the organisational challenges they have recently faced and the action they are taking to address them.

“SBC has also, in response, provided some support during this time so that BWA can continue to provide much-needed support services to vulnerable women fleeing violence and address the organisational issues it faces.”