Veronica* (not her real name) had been married to her abusive husband for over 20 years; during their relationship she was subjected to verbal, psychological and physical abuse.
Veronica was 72 years old when we met her, she was living with her husband in sheltered accommodation. We met her though the work we do with National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV).
Despite living in sheltered accommodation Veronica felt very isolated; having no other family to rely on she felt she had no choice other than to put up with her husband and his abuse until the police referred her to NCDV and our team received a referral asking us to speak to her about obtaining a Non-Molestation Order.
Our team at National Legal Service built a professional, yet compassionate relationship with Veronica which enabled her to feel comfortable discussing the more intimate/ distressing details of her case.
Veronica struggled with using technology and had some mobility problems which made it difficult for her to come to our office; we adapted our usual ways of working to ensure we could accommodate her individual needs.
We conducted the majority of her paperwork by phone enabling her to complete in the comfort of her own home, this reduced travel and time away from her home. When Veronica did need to attend our office, we made sure accessible rooms were available to her, we understood the impact coming to the office had on her, we always made sure she felt comfortable and safe.
Veronica now has the protection of a Non-Molestation Order in place, her abuser is unable to contact her or subject her to any further harm. She is safe and has the peace of mind that she no longer has to deal with his abuse, her quality of life has improved as a result.
