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A woman spoke of how her abusive husband tricked her and her children into eating their pet rabbit.

The woman, who asked not to be identified, spoke to The ECHO as part of a campaign highlighting the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The woman said that her abusive husband, who she is now divorcing after 15 years together, called her and her children in from the park and said he had cooked tea for them.

The family sat down and ate the meat that was on the table.

Once they had finished, the father turned to her son and said: “You’ve just eaten your pet rabbit”.

She said she and her kids were so disgusted at eating their much-loved companion, named Blackie, that they couldn’t stop vomiting for the rest of the evening.

She explained how she had been the victim of mental, physical and verbal abuse for the entirety of her marriage but did not feel able to leave because of the children.

She said: “I’ve always been a strong lady, and I don’t like to give up, when you have kids you can’t give up.”

She was speaking at the launch of a two-week campaign to raise awareness about violence against women.

The physical abuse was so extreme it left her on the floor unable to move.

“Although I was getting beaten by him, I didn’t realise how much it was affecting those around me. I couldn’t see it at the time.”

Tonight, the Cunard Building, Radio City Tower, Liverpool Town Hall, Everyman Theatre, FACT, the Bluecoat and Merseyside Police’s HQ are lit up in orange to highlight awareness about domestic violence and to stand in solidarity with its victims.

There will also be a series of ‘invisible pavement messages’ which highlight the problem of silence.

The first one was revealed this morning on Derby Square by Liverpool DJ and presenter Ellie Phillips, who last year publically spoke out about her own experiences of domestic abuse.

Ms Phillips said: “I think it’s extremely important that we educate women and girls of all ages to understand the warning signs of violent behaviour, so that they are able to spot the red flags early on.”

According to the United Nations, one in nine women in the UK annually suffer from domestic violence and two are killed each week.