My abuser is in prison, but still contacts me.
What can I do if my abuser contacts me from prison?
If you’ve been the victim of domestic abuse, you might have thought that your abuser being sentenced to a term of imprisonment would signal some respite from the abuse. Unfortunately, for many this is not the case. Often, abusers are able to make contact with victims via the phone or post. Receiving unwanted contact from offenders can stop victims from moving on, and can keep them in a constant state of anxiety.
Unwanted Prisoner Contact Service
However, there is a new “Unwanted Prisoner Contact Service” that has been designed to tackle this problem. When the “single hub” receives intelligence about unwanted contact, case handlers will contact jails to block offenders from contacting the victim further. Victims’ contact details will then be blocked from all prison phones which means that offenders cannot perpetuate the abuse by asking other inmates to contact victims on their behalf.
According to the Minister for Prisons and Probation, Damian Hinds, the service has been trialled in Kent and Thames Valley earlier in 2022, and “hundreds of victims came forward to request contact was blocked”. Requests for contact to be blocked can be made by victims themselves, or by police, probation, victim services, friends or family members of the victim. Each case will then be assessed individually.
Stop your abuser contacting you from prison
There are various services that you can contact if you have been the victim or the relative of a victim and have received unwanted contact from a prisoner. These include national charities such as Victim Support, or you can contact the victims’ helpline directly (Tel: 0300 060 6699; email: victim.helpline@justice.gov.uk).
Contact Us
There are also things that you can do if you have been the victim of domestic abuse, but the perpetrator is not behind bars. In certain circumstances, you can apply to the Court for an order to prevent the abuser from contacting you. If this is something that you would like more information about, you can read more about it here or contact our family law team on 0191 232 9547.
