October is domestic violence awareness month. In the latest of a series of features, chief reporter Robert Fisk finds out how one victim was able to escape domestic violence.

When Sara (whose name has been changed to protect her identity) first asked for help her two children had been taken into care due to domestic violence at her home.

Her partner, and father to her youngest child, had been remanded in custody for an assault on her.

And staff at the Family Justice Centre (FJC) heard she had endured a long history of domestic violence including her sustaining black eyes and broken bones.

Her partner caused Sara to miscarry a pregnancy after he repeatedly kicked her in the stomach and made various threats with knives.

And FJC workers said it was a highly complex case to manage and for Sara to break away from because the victim was brought up in a strict travelling community.

Family Justice Centre duty manager Alison Kennedy said: “Sara has experienced a long history of manipulation, control and abuse and has been largely transient from a very young age.

“Workers reported that she was fearful, particularly around men, and was vulnerable to being led into dangerous situations.

“The paternal family believed that Sara was five months pregnant with her partner’s child coupled with already having a child together means culturally she would have been expected to make the relationship work and there was a high level of pressure from the travelling community for her to return to be with him.”

Over a six-month period an independent domestic violence advocate (IDVA) worked with her to work on getting her out of the family situation.

As she could not read or write, every piece of paperwork and every process had to be explained to her face to face.

The FJC’s housing officer helped her get a home out of the borough and the IDVA went to case conferences and court appearances with her.

This work by the FJC was a success as the woman is now happily settled in her new safe accommodation, which her ex-partner does not know the location of.

And this work has also meant that her two children have been returned to her.

If you are a domestic violence victim, help is available by calling the family justice centre on 020 8688 0100 or going to croydon.gov.uk/community/ dabuse/fjcentre or emailing fjc@croydon.gov.uk.