If you are worried that you might hurt a child in your care , make sure the child is somewhere safe, and then speak with a friend, relative, or health care professional. You might just need someone to talk to or you may want to seek counseling. Not all suspicions of child abuse turn out to be true. But all deserve serious attention and fast action. The earlier abuse is identified and stopped, the earlier medical care, therapy , and counseling can help children and families heal.
So if you suspect abuse, speak up. If a child tells you about abuse, take it seriously. All children deserve to be heard, protected, and helped. Reviewed by: Stephanie A. Deutsch, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Child Abuse? What Are the Types of Child Abuse? Sexual abuse is sexual contact like sexual acts or non-contact sexual activities like taking or sharing sexual photos and sexual talk between: an adult and someone younger than 18 an older child or teen and a much younger child one person who has power over another, no matter their ages Most cases of sexual abuse involve a close trusted adult or family member who abuses the child's trust.
Poland has seen the most arrivals, especially around its major border crossing at Kuznica. Migrants have described how Belarusian authorities seized their phones and pushed them towards the border fence. Overnight temperatures at the border have slumped below zero and several people have already died in recent weeks.
He described how he had arrived in Minsk from Baghdad at the start of November, and was now in a make-shift camp metres from Poland's barbed-wire fence. Every night they fly helicopters.
They don't let us sleep. We are so hungry. There's no water or food here. There are little children, old men and women, and families. Poland has deployed extra troops after desperate crowds tried to cut the border fence on Monday. The border guard said more than attempts had been made to cross illegally.
The government warned of a possible "armed" escalation on its border with Belarus, fearing its neighbour might try to provoke an incident.
The head of Poland's national security department, Stanislaw Zaryn, said the migrants were under the control of Belarusian armed units. Brussels accuses Belarus's disputed leader, Mr Lukashenko, of provoking the influx in retaliation against EU sanctions. Those sanctions were imposed after Mr Lukashenko's widely discredited re-election in August last year and subsequent crackdown on mass protests.
Addressing parliament on Tuesday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki suggested Russian leader Vladimir Putin - a close ally of Mr Lukashenko - had had a hand in orchestrating the wave of migrants.
Outside the U. Sometimes people who are being abused by someone at home need to find a safe place to live for a while. It is never easy to have to leave home. But it's important to be protected from more abuse. If you call a helpline, they can also help you find a safe place to stay, if needed.
Reviewed by: Stephanie A. Deutsch, MD and Allison T. Dovi, PhD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Abuse? What Are the Types of Abuse? Physical, sexual, and emotional abuse are some of the most known types of abuse: Physical abuse is when someone hurts another person's body.
It includes hitting, shaking, burning, pinching, biting, choking, throwing, beating, and other actions that cause physical injury, leave marks, or cause pain. Sexual abuse includes any type of sexual contact between an adult and anyone younger than 18, or between a significantly older child and a younger child. It's also sexual abuse at any age if one person overpowers another. Emotional abuse happens when yelling and anger go too far or when important adults constantly criticize, threaten, or talk down to kids or teens until their self-esteem is damaged and they feel really bad about themselves.
Emotional abuse can hurt and cause damage just as physical and sexual abuse do. Another form of abuse is online abuse , which is emotional or sexual abuse that happens in the virtual world: Online emotional abuse is any type of online message sent to bully or hurt another person like an intimidating or threatening message. In some instances, the compelling of a complainant will not guarantee their attendance at court; in other instances, compelling attendance at court, may cause the complainant further distress.
Under the provisions of section 97 of the Magistrates' Court Act , applications to witness summons a child are permissible; however, special regard must be given to their welfare and safeguarding in the criminal justice system, giving effect to Article 3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. All courts must have regard to the welfare of children who appear as victims, witnesses and defendants section 44 of the Children and Young Persons Act Prosecutors may also find it useful to refer to R v Highbury Magistrates' Court ex.
In the domestic abuse context, the issue of witness summonsing a child or young person should be considered only in very limited and exceptional cases, and prosecutors should discuss whether this is an appropriate course of action with their Chief Crown Prosecutor before making an application. Prosecutors should be aware of the distress that may be caused to a child or young person, especially where they are being compelled to give evidence in support of one parent, against the other.
This list of considerations is by no means exhaustive but provides a guide to the issues to be examined when deciding whether to make an application. Prosecutors should refer to the legal guidance on Special Measures and Safeguarding Children: Children as Victims and Witnesses for further advice.
The table below sets out the factors that will tend to either support or not support the decision to issue a witness summons - prosecutors may find this helpful in assisting them with their decision.
A combination of factors needs to be considered, with all options balanced; a seemingly minor incident may be serious in the context of escalating abuse. In certain cases, it may be appropriate to apply for a witness summons for third parties who may have information integral to the prosecution case. Third party evidence may provide vital background information about the abuse that has taken place, and may even in some circumstances, lessen the risk towards the complainant by the perpetrator.
Prosecutors should be aware that there may also be risks to a third party being witness summonsed. The perpetrator may also commit offences such as stalking or harassment or witness intimidation against the third party as a result of their involvement. The risk to a third party should therefore also be an important consideration when deliberating whether to apply for a witness summons.
Summonsing a third party witness may, as summonsing a complainant often does, give the perception to the perpetrator that the case is progressing without the complainant formally providing their support. Prosecutors should be mindful that a victim may encourage this rather than attending court themselves or being seen to be doing so by the perpetrator.
If a complainant or witness refuses to attend court following the issue of a witness summons, prosecutors should consider whether a warrant application to the court is appropriate under section 97 3 of the Magistrates Court Act The safety of the complainant and any children or dependant should be borne in mind throughout.
The intention of obtaining the warrant should be to assist attendance at court and not to penalise or criminalise complainants. Applications for warrants should be made on a case by case basis after considering issues such as the nature of an incident whether the attack was serious or prolonged ; whether a weapon has been used; if the complainant is 'high risk'; or there is a pattern of escalating abuse.
In exceptional circumstances, a warrant can be applied for under section 97 2 of the Magistrates Court Act without having to apply for a witness summons. This approach may be considered in situations where it is likely that the witness summons would not procure the attendance of the complainant or witness in question.
All applications should therefore be discussed in consultation with a prosecutor suitably experienced in domestic abuse issues before an application is made.
Seeking a witness warrant could deter the complainant rom seeking help in the future, thereby jeopardising their future safety and that of any children or other dependants. Arresting a complainant may also have the effect of 'criminalising' them and may have a detrimental effect on the quality of evidence given.
Prosecutors should therefore use this approach as a last resort and only where necessary. Having secured the complainant's attendance, every attempt should be made to proceed with the case. However, having initially indicated a willingness to attend court, some complainants may not attend on the day of the trial. The full reasons for non-attendance should be explored, where practicable - many of these reasons may be the same or similar to the reasons why complainants withdraw support or retract allegations.
Complainants should not be automatically dismissed as reluctant or hostile - complainants may not understand what will happen to them when the day of attending court arrives, and may therefore choose to not attend for a number of reasons, for example, uncertainty over the support they may have access to if they have a specific disability. Whilst every effort should be made to identify such needs at the earliest opportunity, it is possible that such matters may only come to light on the day of the trial.
Prosecutors should establish in the first instance why a complainant has not attended, and consider whether the case can proceed without them, using either other evidence, or through making an application under section of the Criminal Justice Act to have the complainant's statement admitted, as an exception to the hearsay rule, if any of the conditions in section 2 are met.
Prosecutors may also want to consider whether it may be possible to adjourn the case to allow for any special measures applications to be made, to account for any late preferences made known by the complainant. There will be instances where despite a complainant being willing to attend court, they may be unwilling to give evidence. In such instances, the complainant may be treated as a reluctant witness. In the first instance, prosecutors should firstly seek to establish the reasons why the witness does not wish to give evidence and should consider whether they would change their mind if an application for special measures were to be granted.
It is possible that a complainant is willing to give evidence, but once called may say they cannot recall the circumstances of the incident. In such cases, prosecutors may wish to refresh the complainant's memory through verifying their statement under section of the Criminal Justice Act Some complainants may have been put under duress by the defendants, by the defendant's or their own family, or through community members to say that they do not recall the facts of the incident, or they may fear the repercussions if they reveal their account at court, in which case prosecutors may want to consider whether an application should be made for their statement to be admitted under section as above.
However, there will be some cases where a complainant will claim they cannot recall the incident in an attempt to be deliberately uncooperative, rather than fearful of the defendant. The complainant may give evidence that directly contradicts what they have said previously in a manner that suggests the new account is fabricated. In these situations, prosecutors may want to consider applying to have other previous statements made by the complainant admitted as evidence under sections and of the Criminal Justice Act Prosecutors should refer to the Hearsay guidance for more detail.
Where the complainant remains resolute in not supporting the prosecution despite attending court, prosecutors should consider requesting leave from the court to treat the witness as 'hostile' under the Criminal Procedure Act Such applications should be made at the first signs of hostility, which may for example, be demonstrated through the making of deliberately inconsistent statements.
It is possible, that through this approach, the complainant's account extracted under cross-examination could provide strong evidence in relation to the allegation, and subsequently secure a conviction. Providing support and protection for complainants and witnesses is a crucial aspect of domestic abuse cases. Complainants need to be supported throughout the criminal justice process, from the point of charge, through the prosecution and after the case has been finalised.
Prosecutors need to understand the vulnerability of domestic abuse complainants, particularly the control, coercion, psychological abuse and intimidation experienced. Cases where the complainant may have been arrested following a report by the primary aggressor, need to be handled very sensitively. It is for this reason that prosecutors should consider the complainant's needs based on the facts and merits of the case, including any history of previous abusive behaviour.
Complainants will often not realise that they are in an abusive relationship, as some abuse behaviours may not in fact be violent or immediately obvious; prosecutors therefore should handle cases effectively and without any preconceptions. Complainants may often adjust their behaviour to try and prevent any further abuse or violence, especially where children or other dependants are present in the household, or to simply have an 'easier time'; such behaviour may as a result be 'normalised', with the complainant showing no obvious or stereotypical behaviours.
However, this should not be used against the complainant. These factors have in the past been seen as undermining the credibility of an account; however, they may in fact support the behaviours of complainants who have been, or continue to be, abused.
Complainants of domestic abuse typically experience a number of abusive incidents before they feel able to report the matter. This should not be seen as a detriment. The usual CPS policy for dealing with complainants and witnesses should always be applied see CPS commitments to support victims and witnesses. Complainants and witnesses should be made aware from the outset of what is expected of them, particularly in terms of attending court and giving evidence, and being cross-examined.
Complainants and witnesses should be offered support to help them through this process with support needs identified early and kept under review. Locally commissioned witness support services or other support organisations, will identify whether the complainant has requested or identified a need for separate entrances, exits and waiting accommodation for victims and prosecution witnesses, so that they do not have to mix with the perpetrator or the complainant's family or friends, or with their own family members where the abuse is of a familial nature.
Some support organisations may be able to accompany complainants during pre-trial visits to the court, if the complainant feels that they may benefit. A Victim Personal Statement VPS gives the complainant a voice in the criminal justice process, providing them with an opportunity to explain in their own words how a crime has affected them.
For domestic abuse cases, a VPS may also usefully include a complainant's concerns about safety, intimidation and the perpetrator's bail status. Prosecutors should take into account this information to inform the court about the effect on the complainant. The VPS can be an important way to empower the complainant, and project the impact of abuse and the effects on the complainant and family, or other vulnerable individuals within the household to the court.
The VPS is useful in understanding the nature of the offending behaviour as well as the effects and consequences upon the complainant. Exposure to domestic abuse can have a devastating effect on children and young people. Due consideration must be given to cases where the child was present during an incident. Children can also be victimised during criminal proceedings as a result of how they are treated, such as when they are being asked to support one parent's account over the others.
A child's welfare and safety should be paramount, whether they are victims of abuse themselves, or have witnessed the abuse taking place in their home. The same considerations should also be made for any other dependants in the household, particularly if there are any safeguarding issues which need to be addressed.
It may be useful in certain circumstances for the child, or dependant to be given the opportunity to make a VPS to describe the effect the crime has had on them, where possible and where appropriate. Enhanced witness services for children and young people at court are available and should be highlighted by the police. Multi-agency risk assessment conferences MARACs are meetings attended by agencies with a role in protecting a victim in a particular case, and are available in some parts of England and Wales, but not all; the police or probation service usually take the lead.
In such circumstances, the prosecutor and police may want to discuss how to approach these agencies and how they can assist in criminal proceedings. Such actions will need to be considered on a case by case basis and must be handled sensitively to ensure that the agencies involved are not compromised by their sharing of information. Domestic abuse cases may also be included in other local public protection arrangements such as Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements MAPPA [which focus on convicted offenders assessed as posing the highest risk of serious harm] and local Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs MASH [which focus on prevention, early intervention, awareness raising and support and protection for victims, with the aim of preventing abuse and trying to end repeat victimisation].
Again, agencies may individually hold relevant information which may not be immediately available to the police. Police and prosecutors should identify whether the information that is held can assist with criminal proceedings, and how it can be usefully shared to help supporting victims and complainants following a report of abuse. Relevant information around risk to children and young people may be held by Local Child Safeguarding Boards LCSBs which seek to ensure the safety of children within families experiencing domestic abuse.
Where it is known that these services are involved, prosecutors may want to request further information via the police to ensure that a holistic picture of the complainant's circumstances is known to ensure that appropriate charging decisions are made and the correct support requirements are identified. Witness Care Units which are largely run by the police, provide a single point of contact and tailored support for each victim and witness to assist them in giving their best evidence.
A Witness Care Officer will provide information and support from the point of charge until the conclusion of a case, for example, liaising with the Witness Service to arrange pre-trial visits to the court. In some police force areas, a police specialist domestic abuse unit may also provide a point of contact for a complainant.
Local policing areas, under the remit of Police and Crime Commissioners, will commission and manage enhanced services for victims and witnesses, and will by their nature vary from area to area. Complainants may want to consider additional support they require through contacting any of the organisations listed in Annex D , which may provide services specific to their circumstances.
This external specialist support is independent of any agency, including agencies within the criminal justice system, and provides services to victims before, throughout the life of a prosecution, and beyond criminal proceedings being finalised. IDVAs and YPVAs work in a multi-agency setting and can provide essential links for victims, such as contact with emergency services, housing needs, or signposting for legal or financial support. An IDVA will assist in ensuring victim safety is co-ordinated across all agencies, and will also co-ordinate their involvement in the civil and criminal courts to avoid a victim being left without protection for example, assisting in the completion of relevant paperwork so that a civil order can be sought immediately after any bail conditions cease to apply.
Complainants' engagement with IDVAs has shown a reduction in abuse, and in some cases, a cessation in abuse, increasing their safety. Prosecutors should work closely with IDVAs and YPVAs where they are available to better understand a complainant's needs and concerns around the prosecution process.
Victims may visit a SARC if there has been any sexual abuse as part of the domestic abuse they have been suffering. SARCs provide a multi-agency response to sexual violence victims, including specialist clinical intervention and a range of assessment and support services to promote their recovery and health. SARCs will treat victims regardless of whether they are referred by the police or they refer themselves.
Should the pattern of behaviour of domestic abuse include sexual abuse, prosecutors may want to consult rape specialist colleagues to ensure the victim and the prosecution cases are handled in the most suitable way.
Further information on general and specialist domestic abuse support organisations throughout the country can be found at Annex D. This section should be read in conjunction with the legal guidance on Special Measures and Special measures meetings between witnesses and the CPS. Giving evidence can be a particularly traumatic experience for complainants of domestic abuse. Many complainants and witnesses of domestic abuse experience stress and fear during the police investigation of a crime and the process of attending and giving evidence to a court.
Stress affects the quantity and quality of communication with witnesses of all ages. Such stress can be greatly increased or intensified as a result of facing their attacker. Where complainants and witnesses feel vulnerability or intimidation, special measures such as giving evidence behind a screen, or by a remote video link can help improve their experience by allowing them to give the 'best evidence' of which they are capable.
Prosecutors can apply for special measures to the court, and it is the court that will make the final decision to grant an application.
Applications should be made at the charging decision, or as early as possible after that point, but not more than 28 days after the defendant has pleaded not guilty in the magistrates' court or 14 days in the Crown Court. The complainants should be notified of the outcome as soon as practicable.
A complainants' support needs may change during the course of proceedings, before attendance at court. It is therefore essential that all applications are made as early as possible, but where there are any late requests or variations on the support needs required, that such applications are made as expeditiously as possible.
The CPS has a scheme in place for prosecutors to meet with complainants, and other witnesses, to ensure they properly understand the complainant's evidence and to assist in understanding better any complex evidence. Further information can be found in the Pre Trial Witness Interviews legal guidance. Services available to victims of domestic abuse across the country are different in the various areas and will be dependent on the local funding available.
Victims can self-refer to local refuges or can be referred by other agencies, including police. There may be limited services available for certain complainants with specific support needs; however, other services and organisations may be able to assist by providing some enhanced support or useful information where possible.
Further information on some services which may be of assistance can be found in Annex D. The location of refuges or their telephone numbers should never be publicised or revealed to anyone other than the police. Most refuges have specific referral procedures to be followed, therefore the location should not even be given to complainants, nor should the location be written down in records.
This can be an important consideration when looking at bail conditions. Prosecutors should be very careful that locations of refuges and safe houses are not revealed in applications for bail conditions, and where there may be applications to vary bail. Responsible information sharing plays a key role in enabling organisations and professionals to protect complainants of domestic abuse and their children, and to save lives.
In some instances, it is possible that the prosecutor may be handling a case where the victim has been killed by the perpetrator, and charges of murder or manslaughter may apply. Prosecutors should pay particular attention to the unfair or distorted picture that can be given of the complainant, particularly with regard to their mental health or perceived 'bad' character. It is therefore important that the whole picture of a victim's relationship with the accused is identified, to ensure that the circumstances which led to the death can be properly determined.
Prosecutors may find it helpful to consider information regarding the history of the relationship between the victim and defendant and whether any information can be adduced through applications under section of the Criminal Justice Act , or through bad character applications. Only in the most extreme of cases, should there be a decision to witness summons a child to give evidence - prosecutors should refer to the section above on witness summons - children and young people for further guidance.
For further guidance on defences in domestic homicides, prosecutors should refer to the legal guidance on Homicide: Murder and Manslaughter where they will find detailed advice on issues to consider.
A Domestic Homicide Review DHR is a locally conducted multi-agency review of the death of a person aged 16 or over where it appears that the death resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by:. Their purpose is not to reinvestigate the death or apportion blame, but to:. These are not intended to take the place of full DHRs but rather to obtain rapid learning in much shorter timeframes.
These are police lead reviews and as such CPS involvement is not usual. This section of the document identifies the different impacts of domestic abuse on people from a range of communities and groups, and the particular considerations that prosecutors will need to bear in mind.
Some of the issues listed will be common to all complainant and perpetrator groups, such as many victims trivialising the abuse they suffer, or fearing they will not be taken seriously. However, in all cases, prosecutors should ensure risk assessments take into account a complainant's individual and specific circumstances in context with the offending behaviour or course of conduct. The following paragraphs provide some examples of issues, needs and barriers which may be relevant to individuals belonging to particular groups - prosecutors should note that this list is not exhaustive and should only be used as a guide as it is not possible to include every scenario.
Complainants may fall into one or more of the categories listed below - therefore, each case will need to be assessed on its own facts and merits, and support needs identified accordingly.
The CPS recognises that domestic abuse victims and complainants are predominantly women, and experience abuse perpetrated largely by men.
This section does not seek to minimise the abuse experienced by men, or abuse which has been perpetrated by women on female victims, but rather seeks to assist prosecutors in identifying the gender-biased abuse that a large majority of female victims will be subjected to. This section therefore focuses on female victims experiencing intimate partner abuse by male perpetrators, and familial abuse perpetrated by men, unless otherwise stated.
Further guidance relating to same sex issues can be found in the section on same-sex, bisexual and transgender individuals. The full circumstances relating to a female victim or complainant should therefore be explored by police and prosecutors to fully understand how the abuse is being committed and identify appropriate support.
Some of these issues are explored later in this section and prosecutors may find it useful to refer to those sections for further guidance. There is significant evidence available that women will be subjected to a greater level of, and more severe physical violence and control, and more likely to experience sexual violence where abuse has been perpetrated by a male.
Women may therefore be more vulnerable as a result of this abuse. The abuse suffered by women, will in most cases, involve a combination of physical violence and controlling and coercive behaviour; however, it is also recognised that physical violence does not always have to feature in all cases.
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