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Tuesday, 5th October 2010
A very frightened Susie contacts me early this morning. Crying, she tells me that Max is constantly phoning, threatening to slit her throat and kill her, after the baby is born. He is paranoid that she is going with other lads and says he will come over and batter them. This is ridiculous! I feel desperate - she has no one else to support her. But where do I start?
First, I phone the midwife and health visitors but they are out of the office. Eventually I speak to Cathy's doctor. He suggests that this is a police matter and gives me the phone number of the Domestic Violence Unit.
In the meantime, I receive a call from Jamie, who has just heard from Max. She warns me that he is threating to come over to my house tonight, to batter me. He is paranoid, claiming that I am trying to stop seeing his baby when it is born. That is not true: when we spoke yesterday, I told Max that he must stop threatening Susie, otherwise he will have to have supervised contact when the baby is born - at which point he got abusive and switched off his phone..
The Domestic Violence Unit arrange for someone to call at my house later. I drive over to Taunton, a 52 mile round trip. Susie is naturally very upset and believes it is all her fault. I try hard to persuade her otherwise.
We inform the manager of the hostel that Susie is unlikly to return tonight because of a family problem. she tells us to notify the council in the morning, since it is a rule that Susie should not stay out overnight.
A policewoman arrives at my house late afternoon. She listens to our problems with Max, in a caring and understanding manner. We point out that he is now drinking heavily and making these dreadful threats; on the other hand, there are times when he a lovely funny person. She suggests that Susie be referred to Victim Support and that my house be flagged on the screen shoould I phone the police to night. At the end of the interview, when I enquire if the policewoman is local, she acknowleges she is. Recalling that she knew Maxwhen he was much younger. "He was a good runner," she says, "but I was not prepared to chase him. We all laughed.
Susie seems much better, having talked openly to someone about the threats. The policewoman assures her that she has nothing to feel guilty about and that there are many others who find themselves in the same situation.
