So, What Should You Do If You Hear Your Next-Door Neighbours Fighting?

‘The big element in the Boris story isn’t that there was a heated argument, it’s that the police were called,’ tweeted Brexit minister James Cleverly, ‘The police were called by the same person who recorded Boris and gave the story to the Guardian.’

‘Not long ago, members of the Left were concerned about the surveillance state,’ added journalist Toby Young, ‘Now, they press their ears to the wall and turn on their tape recorders when they hear their Tory neighbours arguing and contact the @guardian. They’re a pound shop version of the Stasi.’

‘What a non-story “couple have row”,’ security minister Ben Wallace tweeted and deleted, ‘Lefty neighbours give recording to Guardian. Newspaper reaches new low is a better news story.’

‘[Recording the incident] is not the type of behaviour that you'd expect in our country,’ shared Tory MP Priti Patel, ‘that's the type of behaviour associated with the old Eastern bloc.’

These are the comments from our country’s leaders on Twitter in the last week. After the police were called to Carrie Symonds house following a loud argument between her and Boris Johnson a question about domestic disputes became political, and turned into a debate about personal privacy, subsequently beginning a terrifying narrative began that implied domestic abuse is a private family matter.

You’ve probably heard the story about our likely future Prime Minister by now, but here’s a recap: an argument between Johnson and his partner Symonds was reported to the police last Friday by their neighbours, who had heard smashing sounds and what seemed to be Symonds screaming and shouting ‘get off me’ at Johnson.

The neighbours knocked on their door three times, to no avail, and so rang the police out of concern for Symonds. They recorded the incident, on which Johnson can be heard refusing to leave and telling Symonds ‘get off my fucking laptop’ before there is a loud crashing noise.

‘There was a smashing sound of what sounded like plates,’ the neighbour told The Guardian, ‘There was a couple of very loud screams that I’m certain were Carrie and she was shouting to “get out” a lot. She was saying “get out of my flat” and he was saying no. And then there was silence after the screaming. My partner, who was in bed half asleep, had heard a loud bang and the house shook.’

The incident would be terrifying for anyone to hear from their next-door neighbour, whether the man in question was leading candidate to be next Prime Minister of the country or not. But while one would assume Johnson’s position of power makes it all the more apparent that any potentially abusive behaviour be a public interest issue, the opposite debate began online. The neighbours were accused of invading his privacy by recording the incident, with many pointing to the police response that there was ‘no cause for police action’.

Of course, in calling the police and recording the incident, the neighbours weren’t to know whether there was or was not cause for police intervention. And had there been, they could have been saving a woman’s life. Because, two women are killed every week from domestic violence. It’s an endemic that demands collective responsibility to end, and the people around victims of domestic violence are often the most integral into pulling them out of a very dangerous situation.

It’s not just potentially preventing a lethal situation either, in recording the incident the neighbours were collecting would could have been essential evidence for a court case. Family courts consistently fail victims of abuse and rape, with more than 120 MPs calling for greater scrutiny of their systems earlier this year. And yet, the ensuing debate of this incident has caused many people to wonder, are you actually allowed to record someone else’s argument, or are you invading their privacy? More than that, it’s caused some to even question, what do you actually do if you hear what sounds to be a domestic dispute next door?

We asked Lisa Johnson, manager of direct services at Women’s Aid, to cut through the noise and get back to the problem at hand: protecting women from domestic violence.

‘If the incident is so loud that you can easily hear it from next door, and you have concerns for the safety of the people inside the building, then the first priority is to call the police,’ she said, ‘Recording the incident may also be a good idea - assuming it is safe to do so - as this can provide useful evidence for the police.’

‘If you have ongoing concerns, you can call the National Domestic Violence Helpline - run in partnership with Women’s Aid and Refuge - on 0808 2000 247 for free and confidential advice on how to support someone you’re worried may be experiencing domestic abuse,’ she continued.

But, are there any absolute no-no’s when dealing with potential incidents of domestic abuse? ‘Never try to intervene in a way that might put yourself in danger,’ she said, ‘the police are trained to deal with domestic abuse incidents, and they are best placed to risk assess and take appropriate action. By intervening you could also put the woman at further risk.’

For Lisa, while she agrees that some people fear they’re ‘intruding on privacy’ or that they’ll be criticised for intervening during a potential domestic abuse incident, this should never hold you back ‘when it’s a matter of safety’.

‘We have a collective responsibility to support survivors of domestic abuse and challenge misogyny and gender inequality whenever we see it,’ she said, ‘Reporting to the police can save a life, and people shouldn’t be afraid to do so if they have concerns for a neighbour’s welfare. You can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously.’

Of course, Lisa’s comments come as no surprise really. Before the news last week, one would assume it was common sense – alas, social media has reminded us yet again then when political expedience clashes with women’s rights, the politics will win every time. But that's wrong - regardless of whether you want Johnson to be Prime Minister or not, everyone has a duty to end violence against women.

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