Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland's Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Rani Mahal met support workers on the frontline of delivering help and safety services for survivors of domestic abuse.
As the country marked National Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week 2024, the Deputy PCC met domestic abuse caseworkers Asha and Dipa from Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan Trust to find out more about the outreach work and support they provide women fleeing abuse and honour-based violence across Leicester.
The charity has previously received funding worth £9,962 from Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews' Safety Fund to facilitate a weekly drop-in support service offering holistic and intensive support to women and girls facing all forms of abuse and those at risk or fleeing abuse in the Belgrave and Rushey Mead area of Leicester.
A further grant of £10,000 was recently awarded by the Commissioner to fund a part-time Multilingual Domestic Abuse Support and Outreach Worker in 2024/25 to carry out regular outreach activity targeting women who are at risk of abuse in areas of Highfields, Belgrave, Rushey Mead, Green Lane Road and Hamilton.
The project provides one-to-one emotional support to women who disclose abuse, encouraging them to report their experiences. It also provides practical support to help survivors overcome the barriers they face to flee abuse including supporting them to submit housing applications and securing emergency temporary accommodation.
Rani said: "I was delighted to meet Asha and Dipa and find out more about the fantastic work they undertake on behalf of Zinthiya Trust to protect and support female victims of domestic abuse in Leicester.
"The charity provides a huge range of essential services from one-to-one support and emergency food parcels to a mentoring programme. I was impressed with the swift and effective way they resolved issues for callers ringing in for support before our meeting began. This non-judgemental, listening ear is available in one-to-one meetings, over the phone or at regular coffee mornings and women are connected to a whole range of other services that can help them to recover and rebuild their lives.
"Survivors of domestic abuse deserve the very best services possible to help them move on with their lives and secure justice. Zinthiya Trust is an asset to the community, helping to build trust and confidence among victims to seek justice and providing a one-of-a-kind, one stop shop service in the heart of Leicester city."
The PCC has prioritised supporting victims of crime in his Police and Crime Plan, pledging to commission victims' services that ensure victims of crime are provided with exemplary support at a time of crisis. He also vowed to deliver a partnership response to reduce the harm, risks and costs of domestic abuse and other types of violence and exploitation including trafficking and modern-day slavery.
National Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week 2024 runs from February 5 to 11 and aims to address the serious issues of sexual abuse and sexual violence while highlighting the support available for victims.
