A domestic abuse survivor is living in fear after her ex-partner was released from prison barely halfway through his sentence, saying she believes he will be 'more dangerous than ever'. Alena, not her real name, has made arrangements for her children 'in case something happens and I'm not here' anymore. Her former partner was convicted of nine domestic abuse-related charges including assault and strangulation and jailed for nearly four years, but was freed after just over two years under the government's early release scheme.
Survivor's fears and preparations
Speaking to Metro, Alena said: 'I am living in fear. I think he is now more dangerous. He has nothing to lose. I exposed him and shattered his image. To clean that up, he has to clean me first.' She described being on 'high alert' constantly and feeling faint, adding: 'I constantly think something worse is going to happen.'
Alena, who is being supported by the specialist mental health charity Woman's Trust, said she used to usher her children into their bedroom during attacks and plead with them to stay inside 'no matter what'. Now, she explained, she can no longer shield them from the worst-case scenario. 'I need to protect my children,' she said. 'I need to make arrangements for them just in case something happens. I cannot leave it to fate. If things happen, I need for them to be ready.'
Early release scheme and campaign warnings
Beginning next month, the government is planning to release 5,000 offenders in England and Wales earlier than scheduled to create more space in overcrowded prisons. Campaigners have consistently warned that the early release of domestic abusers does nothing to deter perpetrators and will place survivors at risk of further harm. Woman's Trust warned that perpetrators may seek to 'weaponise' the early release scheme 'to undermine, frighten or silence survivors'.
Alena said her ex had already been locked up once before for punching her in the face. He was arrested and taken into custody but soon bailed – and able to go back to exerting control over her, manipulating her into withdrawing her allegations. Despite being assaulted in a supermarket covered in CCTV cameras, Alena said police took her at her word and dropped the investigation. 'My abuse was written all over my face, but nobody said anything,' she said. 'He didn't mind going inside and coming back. He became even more agitated, more dangerous.'
Impact on recovery and calls for support
The coercive control intensified to the point she was no longer allowed out alone and her former partner rarely left her side behind closed doors. One day, he attacked her three times, raining down punches while strangling her. She moved away from the area and started rebuilding her life while he was in prison, but his release has now put her several steps backwards in that recovery. 'For him, being released may represent freedom and the beginning of another part of his life,' she said. 'For me, his release can represent the return of fear, uncertainty and the possibility of having to deal with things that I have been trying to leave behind.'
Woman's Trust CEO Alice Piller-Roner said: 'For a perpetrator, release may mark the end of imprisonment. For a survivor, it can mean the return of both risk and fear. Women can spend years rebuilding a sense of safety after domestic abuse, only to have that profoundly disrupted when the person who abused them returns to the community. If decisions are being made to release perpetrators, there must also be recognition of what those decisions can mean for survivors. They should not be left to deal with the mental health consequences alone. Specialist, trauma-informed counselling needs to be properly funded and available alongside robust safeguarding, so women and their children are supported not only to be safe, but to recover.'
In a message of support to other survivors, Alena urged them not to let fear 'defeat' them. She said: 'Do not regret leaving. We changed our homes, our lives and our children's lives just to be safe. By releasing them, it feels like we and our children are being sentenced again for crimes we never committed. But remember, we did not let our abusers defeat us. We survived them. We are still standing. And we will not be defeated.'
A Government spokesperson said: 'We recognise the profound and lasting impact of domestic abuse on victims, and we're committed to supporting anyone who has experienced this horrific crime. That's why we're providing a record £550m funding for victim services including specialist domestic abuse support, and rolling out Domestic Abuse Protection Orders to further strengthen protections for victims. This is part of our wider action to crack down on vile abusers and halve violence against women and girls in a decade.'
