Were you there?
Victoria Forrest
An awareness campaign encouraging neighbours to call the Refuge helpline if they witness or suspect domestic abuse.
The series of posters is created using the material the police produces when a woman reports domestic violence. This comprises a statement and evidence photographs of violence inflicted, supplied as black and white A4 printouts. It is the only document a victim may receive.
These posters are made from images and text from my police report and witness statement made in 2012, and requested in 2019. The images are the police photographs of the bruising I received shown as supplied by the police. The words are taken from my witness statement. They have been changed from the first to the third person to show that a witness account makes my statements stronger.
I would not have gone to the police station without the support of a friend who accompanied me. My ex-partner was not charged as there were no witnesses.
The Call To Action is for neighbours to call the Refuge helpline. The hashtag #wereyouthere? hopes create a space for debate and awareness.
The title also references issues of believability. Many abusers cannot be charged because no-one else was there, making it one person's word against the another, making support structures in cases like this even more important.
