According to the latest Violence Against Women Prevalence Estimates, “1 in 3 women experience domestic violence globally.”

31% of women aged 15-49 years old have experienced sexual or physical violence from their current partner or husband

While 30% have experienced sexual violence from a non-partner.

These staggering numbers show how domestic assault victims need more reliable allies in the courtroom.

If you have experienced domestic assault here are some key things you must take note of. But first,

What is Domestic Assault?

Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive and controlling behavior in an intimate relationship. It may include physical assault and battery, sexual assault, rape, stalking, and other forms of emotional abuse.

Domestic assault can be broken down into three categories:

• Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) – This type of domestic violence occurs between individuals who are married or have been in a long-term relationship with each other.
• Family Violence – This type of domestic violence involves members of the same household but without an intimate partner relationship (for example, parents and children).
• Elder Abuse – This type of domestic violence occurs when one person in a relationship has power or authority over another person who is 65 years old or older

Domestic assault doesn’t always have to be physical, it can be verbal or even in gestures and this is already grounds for you to have a case against a perpetrator.

Now that domestic assault is defined, do you think you are or have been a victim? If so, here are some key things to remember and take note of in case you are or have been a victim of domestic assault.

Report immediately

Domestic assault shouldn’t be left as is, report to the police immediately. It can be intimidating to seek help, but this is the first step in order to seek justice.

If you are in an unsafe situation and feel that you need to get out of the house you can go to a police station or other public place where there are people.

If you have trouble leaving your home, here are some things that can help:

• Call the authorities from another phone (a neighbor’s phone, a friend’s phone) and explain what is going on and where you are located. An operator will send officers as soon as possible!

The Court hearings

Once the perpetrator is in the custody of the police, they will be kept there until they have the privilege to go through a bail hearing wherein bail conditions will be set by the judge and restriction of coming into contact with you and other individuals in the case.

It is pertinent that you get a lawyer skilled in Domestic Violence cases that will assure that you will not have to drop charges and later on have the case be a “simple misunderstanding”

Final words:

The numbers presented by Violence Against Women Prevalence Estimates is a reflection of how some courts or lawyers view domestic assault, so it is key that you get yourself the court backup that is trained and built to fight your case. A win for your case is a win for all victims of domestic assault in the world.