Every five days a woman is killed - we must discuss domestic abuse

BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire has spoken about the ongoing necessity to talk about domestic abuse ahead of an anticipated appearance in Leeds.

- by Charles Gray

The presenter of Newsnight and Panorama will host a panel discussion on the issue at the Leeds International Festival Of Ideas this month, an event that features a stellar lineup of figureheads conducting discussions on everything from dementia and religion to the hospitality sector and hip-hop.

When looking for a host for the panel discussion on domestic abuse there were few better fits than BBC stalwart Victoria, who was central to raising awareness of the increased risk victims faced during the Covid lockdowns in 2020.

She said that one of her first concerns when the lockdown hit was those who would be at the mercy of their abusers, and that it was "unreal" how little thought the Government had given.

"Domestic abuse has always been there but the lockdown really gave it an urgency," she said. "It didn't feel like the Government at the time had considered this for one second. What if your partner or parent is a domestic abuser or sexually abusing you? It hadn't occurred to anyone and that was just really shocking to me."