Male victims are being urged to report their suffering (File Picture: SAKKI/REX/Shutterstock)

Male victims of domestic violence are being urged to report their suffering following a rise in the number of men killed by women in the home.

Nationally, the number of women killed through domestic violence is double that of men but in some parts of Britain, it’s the other way round.

In Cornwall, men made up four out of the five most recent victims.


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Authorities say they have been trying to tackle the issue following a review which suggested there could be a ‘chink in the chain of support for males’.



The majority of deaths in domestic abuse cases are usually carried out by current or former partners, including heterosexual and homosexual couples, but the figures also include family members such as siblings and parents.

In Cornwall, men make up four out of the five most recent victims (Picture: David Goddard/Getty Images)

One of the few male-only refuges nationally was introduced in Cornwall just over a year ago, in a secret location.

Mark, not his real name, spent several months at the male-only refuge after he escaped a violent relationship that left him hospitalised several times.

He said: ‘I was totally isolated and totally under her control.

‘One day she attacked me outside Tesco’s and people stood there with their phones out videoing it… I knew from there on that this is how it’s going to be until she either kills me or I kill myself.’

What to do if you are suffering domestic abuse If you are a victim of abuse, it’s important to tell someone and to remember that you’re not alone. You can contact the Men’s Advice Line Monday-Friday 9am-5pm on 0808 801 0327. Alternatively, you can email info@mensadviceline.org.uk which will refer you to local places that can help, such as health services and voluntary organisations. In an emergency, call 999.

‘In my family I was always told you never hit a woman… because I had never seen someone as violent as that, it didn’t occur to me to hit back.’

Sue McDermott from the refuge said that in its first year, they came into contact with 80 men experiencing domestic violence and housed 11 men in desperate situations.

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She said: ‘What we try to explain to professionals in the field is that it’s not the size of the man that means they couldn’t defend themselves; often they’ve got values which means they won’t hit back’.

Sue added that society needs to ‘get better at talking about the issue’, whether this means a friend suspecting a problem or involves a professional like a GP.

Peter Clinch, whose brother Alan was stabbed to death by his wife with a pair of scissors in 2012, said: ‘Men feel embarrassed – ashamed that they’ve been driven out the home by the wife or partner.

He advised victims to: ‘Either swallow your pride and report it or get the hell out before you become another statistic.’

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