Jade has been in abusive relationships twice – once when she was 18 after she had just had a child and another one recently which was violent and controlling. She has been repeatedly let down by the police when she has tried to report the abuse and get help, experiencing racist treatment and having her attempts to seek help dismissed. She was also impacted by the wave of barrister strikes and court delays, which led to the sentencing of her ex-partner being adjourned four times. Jade wants to speak out about her experiences to raise awareness of domestic abuse and help other women and young people know there is help out there and make them aware about behaviours to watch out for.
Normal people who come from where I come from – we need to have a voice. I want to be that voice. When it’s an average person, a working class person, a person that’s on a low income, a person of a minority, it’s like our story doesn’t matter….there are people who will listen. It is lonely, it is hard, it is isolating, but communicating is key.