Early in 2020, National Legal Service were instructed to help Iris* (not her real name). Iris came to us via a referral from the National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV).
Iris had been in an abusive relationship and required protection from her abuser’s on-going harassment.
During their relationship, Iris was subject to verbal, emotional and physical abuse.
Iris’ ex-partner would accuse her of being unfaithful, he would invade her privacy and regularly check her phone. Like many abusers he controlled Iris by not allowing her to see her friends and family unless he was present.
On one particularly terrifying occasion Iris returned home to find him being taken away in handcuffs by the police, the officers informed Iris that he had told the police he had a gun and was going to shoot her.
In another incident he threw a table at her during an argument whilst telling her to ‘drop dead’.
The harassment Iris experienced was relentless and became too much for her to bear which is when she contacted NCDV.
The team at NLS helped Iris secure a one year non molestation order, her abuser did not attend the return hearing where the order was finalized.
Iris was grateful to the team, the non-molestation order allowed her to move on with her life, she is now in a new relationship and expecting her first child with her new partner.
