What is domestic abuse?

Domestic violence covers a range of situations where one person in some way harms another person, with whom s/he has some pre-existing relationship.

Domestic violence can therefore be one person physically attacking another or it may be another form of abuse such as pestering with phone calls.

It is not my partner but someone else abusing me...

For the above actions to be counted as domestic violence, the victim and the perpetrator must have had some form of relationship, but they do not need to be heterosexual partners and they need not live in the same property.

What happens if my ex-partner breaches the injunction?

It is a criminal offence for them to ignore it so contact your local police station. However, if the situation is urgent, and you are in danger, call 999.

I left home to escape my abuser. Can I get my house back?

The court can also make an order limiting and defining the occupation of your home. So for example, it can prohibit the other person from coming into your bedroom. Or it can exclude the other person from the home altogether, even if he or she is the legal owner of that home.