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A teenager took his own life after his dad beat and shot his mother in a sickening campaign of domestic abuse when she asked for a divorce.

Rachel Williams, 47, posted a photo of her son's cremation file on Twitter to show the world the reality of domestic violence - and that children can also be victims of the abuse.

Jack was just 16 when he killed himself in 2011, Wales Online reports.

Six weeks before the teenager's death, father Darren Williams walked into Carol Ann Hair Salon in Newport, Wales, and attacked his wife of 18 years after she asked for a divorce.

(Image: Wales Online WS)

He used a gun's butt to smash Rachel in the head and fired two shots into her legs in the sickening August 2011 attack.

She was unable to walk until surgeons replaced her shattered bones with titanium.

Williams, who had also assaulted and threatened Rachel weeks before the attack, was later found hanged in a woodland.

Rachel, who is a domestic abuse campaigner, wrote on Twitter to her 8,000 followers on Tuesday: "I suppose yes this is a shocking photo this morning...but this is my reality of domestic abuse and violence!

"I was left with physical and mental scars, but I should never have been left with this as a reminder.

(Image: @Dontlookback198/Twitter)

"Domestic abuse effects everyone and we must all try and eradicate it."

Speaking about her post, she said: "Sometimes you have got to have a shock tactic when you're trying to get your message across.

"I have been campaigning for four or five years and I think now and again you have got to remind people on social media and your followers that don't know your story about your background and why you do what you do.

"Children are not seen as victims of domestic abuse but as witnesses and that's not the case. It's about putting a strong message out that we need to do more in our society to stop this from happening."

(Image: Wales News Service WS)

Rachel described her youngest son Jack as strong-willed and said his death came as a shock.

She added: "He was very outgoing, popular and never had any problem with his health, certainly not any mental health issues until the shooting.

"He was a popular boy in school and was a bit of a Jack-the-lad but he was a loving boy. He was the first to put his shoes on and help me with the shopping from the car."

(Image: Wales Online WS)

Rachel, who is now married to Mike and has an older son Josh, said she would never get over losing her child but said "time was a great healer".

She added: "Eight years on from losing a child, you learn to live with it and I have got a strong Christian faith.

"Sharing the photo is not something significant I would hold on to as a memory to him, it was an easy decision to make and the response from Twitter has been worth it.

"We have got to bring home that we're dealing with domestic abuse and perpetrators, and victims and survivors are speaking out against it."