Mother beaten while holding child

Violence fears over credit crunch

'Jane' suffered years of abuse from her partner which started when she became pregnant.

For the first two years of their relationship, they had been like any other couple with some disagreements but nothing to hint at the violence that was to follow.

"When we first met, everything was fine," she explained. "I can't say there were any huge problems in the first few years of being with him."

"We had some small general arguments but nothing that was ringing any bells."

But that was all to change when 'Jane', in her thirties and from south-east Wales, became pregnant.

Throughout the pregnancy, her partner verbally abused her and started to pull her hair and kick her with the violence only escalating after the birth.

"When the child was born that was the point when the physical violence was every week," she said.

"He punched me, and punched me in the face a couple of times - kicked me when I was on the floor.

"I would be carrying the child and he would yank her out of my arms screaming and shouting saying I couldn't look after her, I'm useless."

He was still battering me while I was holding my child Jane

Despite the violence, Jane stayed with her partner partly through fear and partly because she hoped the situation would improve.

"He had all his family around him as well which compounded the fact I would be on my own and not have anyone to look after my daughter," she said.

"I was hoping the relationship could be salvaged and I was giving my child hope - you are keeping the family together.

"I suppose you tell yourself it's a little phase, perhaps if you go on holiday, or have some time apart, it will get better. But it doesn't get better, it gets worse.

"It got far worse and he became far more violent."

The violence came to a head one winter's evening when Jane was badly beaten up.

"He had battered me so badly I could barely drag myself out into the snow," she said.

"He had left footprints on my back, fractured my ribs, fractured my cheekbone and I had general cuts and bruises.

"He was still battering me while I was holding my child."

Jane managed to get to a friend's, who contacted police, and she was treated in hospital.

Press charges

She saw a card in the accident and emergency department offering help to victims of domestic violence and she went straight into a refuge.

Jane said she had huge support from police and support groups, and her partner was sent to prison for the attack.

She said she would advise anybody suffering domestic abuse to seek help.

"Although the circumstances of each person are different, the story is still the same and I would say to anybody they really should seek support because it's there for them," she said.

"I know that many women don't find the courage to press charges but I found I had more support because of it."

Jane is now enjoying a life with her daughter finally free from the fear of violence.

"He wasn't going to stop. I didn't think I was going to make it out alive," she said.

"We are safe now and I don't have to worry about who's coming through the door.

"We feel like we're alive."