Merseyside Police has arrested 13 people as part of a crackdown on the perpetrators of domestic abuse in Merseyside.
Teams of local officers led by Merseyside Police’s Protecting Vulnerable People unit visited homes in Wirral, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Knowsley this morning Thursday, 22 July.
They arrested the 10 men and three women for a range of offences including serious assault, rape, sexual assault, harassment, breach of a restraining order and hate crime.
All 13 have been taken to different custody suites across Merseyside where they will be interviewed by detectives about the allegations against them.
Detective Inspector Yoseph Al-Ramadhan said this morning’s operation demonstrated to victims that they would be believed and taken seriously, and action would be taken against their attackers.
He explained: “Today has been about making a concerted effort to arrest a high number of people that we believe are responsible for recent domestic abuse against their partners, ex-partners and family members.
“We have been working hard behind the scenes to gather evidence and build a case against each of them.”
“Domestic abuse isn’t just physical – it can be emotional, sexual, financial or controlling behaviour. Some of the signs of domestic abuse, such as physical marks, may be easy to identify but others may be things you can easily explain away or overlook.
“Often victims are either in a relationship with the perpetrator or have been historically, it can therefore be very hard for them to report what has been going on. They might still love their abuser, feel loyal to them, are protecting their children or are simply living in fear.
“Merseyside Police is determined to break that cycle of abuse where perpetrators continue to commit crime after crime against their victim thinking that every time they do, they are less likely to get caught. We can only do that by encouraging victims to talk to us or the partners we work with, believing them and protecting them when they do come forward, and taking decisive action against their abusers. We also welcome the Governments’ publication of the Violence against Women and Girls strategy, which will play a significant role in the work we do to tackle violence against women and girls.”
He added: “Today’s arrests have been for alleged offences such as rape, assaulting a woman in front of her children; coercing a partner into non-consensual sex; sending threatening text messages to a former partner and the attempted robbery of a relative.
“These kind of offences can all form part of a wider pattern of abusive and controlling behaviour that some vulnerable victims sadly suffer for many years before deciding to speak out.
“Our message to them today is that the police are on your side, we will listen to you, and we can help you. Please don’t suffer in silence.”
If you are in immediate danger, always call 999.
If you ring 999 and are not in a safe position to speak to us then cough or tap the phone and press 55, when prompted. This will alert the operator that you need assistance.
For more information visit Merseyside.police.uk/domestic-abuse
