Due to the coronavirus lockdown, the majority of the public are forced to stay at home as a precautionary measure and to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Unfortunately, this means that domestic abuse victims will have to suffer long hours with their abusers at home with almost no means of going out and seeking help and refuge.
Domestic Abuse Cases are Rising Amid Coronavirus Lockdowns
According to a previous report by Reuters, Latin American countries are seeing a surge of domestic abuse cases amid the coronavirus lockdown as more victims are calling abuse hotlines.
Meanwhile, Mexico and Brazil have seen a rise in formal reports recently.
Besides Latin America, Russia is also experiencing a rise in domestic abuse cases while the country is under lockdown due to the COVID-19 threat.
The Guardian reported that there had been around 6,000 complaints and reports that have been received by Russian non-governmental organizations in March. Still, it quickly doubled this April as they numbers reached 13,000.
The lockdown has made it harder for victims to find the perfect timing to go out and make an official complaint personally, or even to ask help via hotlines.
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A TikTok for a Cause
This is why when a 14-year-old police cade from Cleveland made a TikTok video on how to make "silent" calls to hotlines like 999, she went viral and received praise.
Kaitlyn McGoldrick created two short TikTok videos where she portrayed a domestic abuse victim, complete with fake bruises, can make these silent calls if they don't want to be caught reporting the case.
According to the Daily Mail, they can call 999 and then cough after they have been connected.
Soon after, the dispatcher will ask them whether they are in danger, and they can answer by pressing 55. If they fail to input the numbers, the call will be disconnected.
Despite her age, the young police cadet was unfazed by the harrowing topic of domestic abuse and said that she made the video because she believes it can help victims escape their perpetrators, even after the lockdown is over.
"I feel proper proud, all the comments that we're getting shows that it does help people," McGoldrick said in an interview. "Many people had said that when it was happening to them, they wish there was something like this."
The viral TikTok videos have now garnered over 100,000 views, and people were praising the young girl for bravely putting out the videos and helping victims.
The Cleveland police were also proud of their young cadet and posted a tweet about it on their official Twitter account.
Funding for Domestic Abuse Victims
Last week, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick announced that they'd be having £76million funding for domestic abuse victims, saying that the government will not ignore them and the reality that every vulnerable individual is facing during this time of crisis.
He also said that victims will be prioritized to access local housing and that the money will be channeled to different charities.
For those who require help, the National Domestic Violence Helpline is available 24/7 on 0808 2000 247.
