Charities join forces to save women

By Ruth Clegg BBC News

Sabina Akhtar's death at the hands of her violent husband has sparked another debate about domestic violence, how it can be prevented, when to step in, and how to uncover this often hidden crime.

Sabina Akhtar was stabbed to death

Refuge, a leading domestic violence charity, plans to sue police and the CPS because it believes she was not protected from her partner.

Two months after she reported the frequent attacks, her husband Malik Mannan, 36, stabbed her through the heart.

Following the murder, several domestic violence agencies have come together to create Manchester Women's Aid.

Yvonne Hypolite, chair of the charity's board, said: "It is absolutely tragic what happened to this lady, especially so soon after she sought help.

"This tragedy should not prevent women coming forward and we are hoping today with the launch of Manchester Women's Aid and the cohesive service that we are able to provide that a woman can get help at the earliest opportunity."

The launch, at Manchester Town Hall, had an audience of support workers, charity staff and many of the victims themselves.

I was just living on my nerves constantly. He would even threaten to put me in his boot and make sure I would never see my children again Keele, a victim of domestic violence

Keele, a mother-of-three, spent a year suffering at the hands of her former boyfriend.

"He was not the father of my children, he was younger than me, bigger than me and basically I was just overpowered.

"I couldn't escape, it was so violent and he mentally abused me and he became more physically abusive.

"Things like being picked up and thrown through the door if I said something wrong.

"He would hit me, pull my ears, throw glasses of wine at my head and even speeding in the car with my children because he knew it terrified me - I was just living on my nerves constantly.

"He would even threaten to put me in his boot and make sure I would never see my children again."

Fortunately, unlike Mrs Akhtar, she survived the abuse and torment, and through the help of the police and Women's Aid she was able to break free.

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She said: "My support worker was excellent - she helped set me up in a new home, helped me financially and mentally she made sure I had some focus.

"The best thing for me was Women's Aid attending the group, swings and roundabouts, the classes were fantastic and I have been able to piece my life back together."

Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, said that his officers deal with at least 68,000 cases of domestic violence a year.

According to Ms Hypolite, at least two women in the UK are killed at the hands of a violent partner each week.

She added: "Domestic violence transcends the whole of the economic and social strata - we as women are likely to be abused by the men we form relationships with, whether we are poor or rich."

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