Little-known silent lifeline we have at our fingertips

More than half of women in the UK are unaware of a potentially life-saving emergency helpline for domestic abuse victims who are too frightened to speak out loud, a new study has revealed.

- MAYA OPPENHEIM

Some 53 per cent of women and 49 per cent of Britons were not familiar with the “999-55” silent lifeline, which connects victims to an operator aware that the caller is unable to summon help.

Women’s Aid has now launched a campaign, The Ignored Emergency, spotlighting domestic abuse as a public safety crisis and underscoring the life-or-death stakes of the insidious crime.

The Women’s Aid launch comes as The Independent continues its Brick by Brick campaign, in partnership with the leading domestic abuse charity Refuge, to raise funds to build two houses for women and children escaping abusive partners.

The initial £300,000 target was surpassed thanks to generous donations from readers. More than £500,000 in donations have flooded in so far, and plans are already underway for a second home.