Victoria Derbyshire shares her experience of domestic abuse: 'My father was not what a father should be'

Journalist and broadcaster Victoria Derbyshire joined the Loose Women to discuss why it's more important than ever to talk about domestic abuse and to share an important message with those who are experiencing it right now.

In the first seven weeks of lockdown, every 30 seconds a call was made to the police reporting an incident of domestic violence - from both men and women - and Victoria opened up about her own experience with a violent father to help us understand why it's so important to keep speaking about it.

"My father was not what a father should be," she explained. "He used to hit me, he used to hit my mum. There was a time he would lock my mum in her bedroom and beat her up."

"I was scared," she continued. "I was about 12 or 13 and I ran to the police station that was a mile or so away and I had to go there myself and I said: 'Please can you come, my dad is hitting my mum'."

Victoria also shared a message of support for those currently experiencing domestic abuse. "You need to tell someone and they can help you find help," she said. Watch her full chat in the video above.

A Government spokesperson said: "Home is not a safe place for everyone which is why the Government has prioritised safeguarding those at risk of domestic abuse during this national health emergency."

"We have worked tirelessly with charities and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner on an unprecedented package of financial support. This includes £2 million to ensure helplines and online services continued to be easily accessible, our #YouAreNotAlone national awareness campaign and £76 million for charities supporting survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and modern slavery."

If you've been affected by any of the issues raised you can use these helplines to find more information about the supports available.

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