It’s well documented that violence against women cases increase over the festive period, and this year, Solace Women’s Aid are tackling the issue with a new Christmas campaign.
The London-based charity have supported over 16,000 women and children in London in 2018 and as the Christmas holidays approach they’ve seen the demand for their services rapidly increase. “We have had to close waiting lists for our rape crisis service, and to turn women away from our refugees because there is no space,” the charity commented.
To respond to this demand they urgently need to raise vital funds and are appealing to the public for help to bring support to those who need it most.
As part of their campaign #Reunited, they’ve created a short animated video that tells the story of Harry, Jess and Scruff. The family are currently living in one of their 19 refuges in London, receiving emotional and practical support to recover from the trauma of violence, slowly putting their lives back together again. The video highlights that while leaving an abusive situation is the most dangerous time, coping with the after-effects can be just as high-risk.
The touching video shows the mother and son reunited with their dog Scruff who they had to leave behind when they fled their home for the refuge.
Reports of rape and sexual assault have increased by over 20% and 144,000 reported incidents of domestic violence took place in London over the last year, the charity highlighted.
Learn more about Harry and Jess’ story here. Support the campaign by donating or sharing their video on social media using the hashtags #REUNITED #BringUsTogether #ScruffGetsHome and tagging @solacewomensaid.