It is not surprising that this dangerous and ill thought out guff was written by a man. I’d like to meet with @StuartWaiton and explain to him a day in the life of a domestic violence victim. No rise in calls to police, in his eyes, means no rise in attacks. https://twitter.com/heraldscotland/status/1249989521309151240

If only Mr Waiton had bothered to ask any woman who’s been in that situation why we don’t phone the police!
Domestic abusers are controlling. The mobile phone bill will go to them. The landline will have a fully itemised bill that’s opened by them.
The fear of them finding out!

I had an axe thrown at my head, a knife held to my throat and regular strangulations during bouts of violence. This is the norm. Not once did I call the police. Neighbours did, I wouldn’t have dared! I worked as many hours as I could as the extra earnings bought me peace.

If I could provide him with the means to drink, I’d get peace and quiet whilst he was out. Respite. Time to clean the house, read to my kids, have a bath, all without fear. All without abuse. Lockdown interrupts the many ways in which victims will have found coping mechanisms.

They can’t go out. So there will be no chance of peace for anyone who is a victim at present. There will be no escape from that heightened anxiety that comes every time the key is heard in the door. The kids too will suffer the same. My kids never had a finger laid on them,

however, they lived with that anxiety on my behalf. They read the moods, they understood far more than they should have.
I had my wrist broken, broken ribs, my arms cut in defence wounds and a knife edge stuck in my throat, just enough to draw blood. I never called the police!

Your piece puts us back years. Your complete lack of understanding should have meant that you didn’t write this. It is dangerous. It wholly misinterprets domestic violence and will embolden offenders. The next time you feel compelled to write on this subject. Just don’t! Please.

My final ask in this thread, would be that @heraldscotland pull the story. I’m sure @StuartWaiton and The Herald would not want to endanger anyone.
So I plead, pull this and in its place put a helpline, for neighbours, friends and such. For it is often those people who save us.