Domestic abuse charities across South West warn emergency alert could put people in danger
Domestic abuse charities in the South West have warned the Government's planned emergency test could put people in danger.
The national alert could reveal the location of secret phones hidden away by those at risk.
The Government will be testing a new alert system at 3pm on Sunday (23 April) which would be used in the future if there was a serious incident.
The system is modelled on similar schemes in the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan.
However, Lora Prynn from Safer Futures Cornwall says staff are surprised at the number of people who have not heard about the alert.
The service supports hundreds of people affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence.
Lora said it could be putting people who have a secret or secondary phone at risk. These devices are often given out by charities, so that people in an abusive relationship can still communicate with their support network without being monitored.
She said: "We’re almost blown away about how many people are unaware about it. I seem to speak to people all the time, and they say 'what alarm?'
"We’re just really keen the message gets put out there so people can access the support they need.
"People in domestic abuse relationships can monitor their partners phone, read text messages, answer for them and sometimes have tracking devices on them.
"In those cases they can often have additional device so that they can speak to professionals, or in an emergency."
Lora warns that if an abuser did find the phone it could have the opposite effect, and may cause an "extreme reaction" if someone realises their partner is talking in secret.
She said: “If you’ve got a phone your partner doesn’t know about and you’re talking about the abuse you are suffering, it may alert the person who is being abusive.
"That could lead to repercussions for that person disclosing what’s going on.
"It could result in an extreme reaction and prevent that person from having access to their support network."
Sarah O'Leary from Next Link Housing, which operates domestic abuse support services in Bristol, said they have been sharing awareness locally to make sure people are prepared.
Sarah said: "This system will enable people to be contacted if there is a risk to life, such as severe flooding, and we would encourage people not to ‘opt out’ of this system if it’s safe for them to do so.
"However in some cases, such as for victims of domestic abuse, this may inadvertently put them at risk if they have a secret phone.
"Therefore we have been sharing information on how to ‘opt out’ of this alert on phones that may be hidden."
Sarah also wants to reassure victims and survivors of domestic abuse that they are able to reach out to support services.
In a statement Lucy Hadley, head of policy at Women’s Aid, said the charity is "concerned about the impact" of the emergency alerts system on survivors of domestic abuse.
She said: "For many survivors, a second phone which the perpetrator does not know about is an important form of communication with friends or family – as some abusers confiscate or monitor and control their partner’s phone. It may also be their only lifeline in emergencies.
"The emergency alerts pose a risk, not only because an abuser could discover a survivors’ second phone, but also because they could use this as a reason to escalate abuse."
When is the Government phone alert?
The UK-wide Government alert will be sent at 3pm on Sunday 23 April. It will go to all mobile phones that do not opt out. It will feature a loud alarm noise, even for phones which are set to silent, and a vibration and message will appear on the home screen.
How to turn off the emergency alert
People are able to opt out of receiving Government mobile phone alerts. Simply head to your phone's settings, search for "emergency alerts", and turn off "severe alerts" and "extreme alerts".
The Government said it has been actively engaging with organisations working with vulnerable women and girls to ensure they are not adversely affected by the introduction of emergency alerts.
Officials stressed that it is easy to opt out of the system if people need their phone to stay concealed, either by turning off emergency alerts in their settings or simply having the phone switched off during the test.
Where can I find help?
Here is a list of some national and regional services available: