BBC’s Panorama viewers have been left heartbroken this evening after hearing the ‘harrowing’ account of domestic abuse survivors – including one woman who was ‘raped over 100 times’ by her husband in lockdown.
Host Victoria Derbyshire also revealed how she understands the terror of those ‘trapped’ and ‘forced’ to live with their abusers amid quarantine – because her own father was violent when she was growing up.
In tonight’s episode of BBC’s Panorama, the presenter, 51, investigated the impact of lockdown for those living with an abusive partner, revealing the scale of domestic violence at the height of the crisis and meeting some of those who managed to escape.
‘Panorama heartbreaking to watch. I’ll never understand how a “man” can do this’, one viewer wrote about tonight’s programme.
It comes as figures have revealed that domestic violence against women has rocketed during coronavirus lockdown, with two-thirds of victims in abusive relationships suffering worse during the pandemic.
Kidnap, arson, revenge porn and even poisonings have been carried out during lockdown by aggressive partners under the cover of the stay-at-home restrictions.
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In the Victoria Derbyshire-fronted programme a woman called Jess – not her real name – said on the night lockdown was announced her husband told her what this meant for her – before she was raped over 100 times over the next weeks and months.
She said: ‘I was at home with him, we were both listening to Boris Johnson and he looked over at me, he had his arms folded back and chest out, cos he knew that would intimidate me, and he looked at me and he said: “let the games begin”.’
‘And he said: “If you think it was bad before with the rape, you’re in for a rough ride.” So the rape started really, really, really bad, really bad. Curtains would get closed, TV would be up loud, front door would be locked, music would be turned up, so nobody could hear me screaming for someone, for anybody.’
Thankfully Jess escaped her husband after he fell asleep one day, meaning she was free to go online and discover how to contact the police by text, who then helped her.
Following Jess’ and other accounts from domestic abuse victims, viewers took to social media to explain that they were left ‘heartbroken’ by the ‘harrowing stories’.
One person said on Twitter: ‘Really harrowing piece with Victoria Derbyshire on domestic abuse during lockdown,’ while another added: ‘This Panorama episode is breaking my heart.’
In the first seven weeks of lockdown there was one domestic abuse call every 30 seconds and 75 per cent of victims have also said the restrictions under the virus’s infection of the UK made it harder for them to get away from their attackers.
The figures were revealed in a joint investigations by the BBC’s Panorama and Women’s Aid, ahead of tonight’s programme.