If you are in immediate danger in the UK, call 999. If it is safe to do so, find specialist domestic abuse support in your part of the UK. You can seek help without preparing a file or booking a consultation.
What should authorities understand when somebody reports violence and later withdraws the complaint? It is tempting to read that as the end of the danger. The history in Opuz v Turkey shows how misleading that reading can be. A person may withdraw because pressure or fear has increased.
What was known before the fatal attack?
The applicant and her mother had experienced serious violence from the applicant’s husband. The authorities had received repeated reports. Some complaints were withdrawn. Eventually he shot and killed her mother. In 2009 the European Court of Human Rights examined the authorities’ response over time, including the seriousness of earlier attacks, the escalation and the steps available to protect the women.
The Court found that Turkey had failed to protect the mother’s life under Article 2 and had failed to protect the applicant against ill-treatment under Article 3. It also found discrimination under Article 14, read with those rights. Evidence about the wider official response to domestic violence helped the Court understand what had happened to this family.
Why the sequence matters
A single record might say that a report was closed. A sequence might show that the same person sought help repeatedly, that threats had become more specific or that authorities received warnings from more than one source. A later review needs to ask what officials knew at the time, what they reasonably could have done and how they assessed the risk. The Strasbourg judgment concerned Turkey. Whether a UK authority breached a duty depends on the facts and the applicable law.
If you are already safe and want advice about an official response, an approximate date or reference number you already have can be a starting point. You need not confront anyone, gather proof at personal risk or keep notes on a device someone else checks. A specialist support organisation can help you decide how to communicate safely.
Read Opuz v Turkey, application 33401/02.
Find UK support for domestic abuse. For general information about a later legal review, see our ECHR guidance.
