Children 'forgotten in violence'

Police are encouraging victims to seek help as soon as possible

Children are often forgotten in cases of domestic violence, a leading police officer has said.

Launching a new campaign to tackle the issue in the north west, the PSNI's Gayle Morpus said their message was "you don't have to be hit to be hurt".

Constable Morpus, Coleraine domestic violence officer, said: "We know from experience that domestic abuse affects as many as one in four families."

The police are encouraging victims to seek help as soon as possible.

"Sometimes children who witness domestic violence are all but forgotten, as attention goes to the perceived victim, who is often the person with visible injuries," said Ms Morpus.

"It is widely understood that children who witness domestic violence within the home from a very young age can carry forward the emotional damage such scenes create, and sadly this can have a negative impact on the way they interact within their own adult relationships.

"All front-line police officers have been trained on the causes of domestic abuse and are fully aware of the complexities of domestic violence in the home.

"We continue to take a 'robust and proactive' approach to these crimes and have a tried and trusted system of responding to domestic incidents."