Domestic abuse victim hits out at council response

WOMAN TOLD: 'PUT CARDBOARD OVER SMASHED DOOR WINDOW'

- By PHILIP JAMES LYNCH

A PREGNANT woman fleeing domestic violence claims she was told to "put cardboard up" when her front door's windows were smashed.

The west London woman feared that her ex had found her and that she was in danger, and feels Hounslow Council's response was lacking empathy or an understanding of her vulnerabilities.

The woman, who the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) will refer to only as Ms X to protect her identity, said she felt as if the council was acting "like an abusive partner".

Ms X was initially placed in a women's refuge when she fled her abusive partner before subsequently being placed in a studio flat.

She said Hounslow Council took months to fix the broken front door after it was smashed by an unknown person, and in the meantime she claims she was advised to patch up the hole with cardboard.

Speaking to the LDRS she said: "I have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), depression and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), and the council knows that, but they don't care. They said 'just put cardboard up' and offered a chain for the door.