March 30th 2024.
It's a heartbreaking reality that despite a surge in domestic abuse cases in England and Wales, the number of prosecutions has actually decreased. This is a stark reminder of how the justice system often fails to protect victims of abuse. Olga Pramanik knows this all too well. For years, she lived in constant fear of her husband, often resorting to sleeping fully clothed on the sofa just in case she needed to make a quick escape. "He was always controlling," Olga recalls, "but things got worse when we moved to the UK from Switzerland in 2016. I wanted to work, but he wanted me to do only what he wanted. I didn't have my own bank account, and he even set up a joint account without my consent."
Things took a turn for the worse when Olga's husband, Kaushik Pramanik, became physically abusive in 2022. The authorities were alerted, and he was found guilty of coercive and controlling behavior as well as assault by beating. However, to Olga's dismay, the sentence was suspended for a year, and her abusive husband walked away a free man. Although he is now legally prohibited from contacting her due to a restraining order, it's hard for Olga to feel safe knowing that her abuser is still out there, unpunished for his actions.
The statistics are staggering, with an estimated 2.1 million people in England and Wales experiencing domestic abuse in the year 2023 alone. This is a 50% increase from 2018. However, despite the surge in cases, prosecutions have decreased by 42% in the same period, according to domestic abuse charity Advance. Olga's story is just one of many, and it's a harsh reality that survivors of abuse often feel let down by the justice system.
Olga endured nine years of abuse at the hands of her husband, who walked away from court a free man despite being found guilty. This issue of lenient sentencing is a major concern, as it fails to deter abusers from repeating their actions. As part of their recent report, "Her Story, Her Justice," survivors are bravely sharing their stories, shedding light on the impact of such weak sentencing. One survivor shares, "So many women are too scared to press charges, and then you see someone getting only three months for ABH. It just isn't enough to stop them from doing it again."
Advance is calling for tougher sentencing for domestic abuse, emphasizing the need for it to reflect the severity of the crime. During her abusive relationship, Olga took matters into her own hands and secretly set up a bank account. She also got her own phone, knowing that her husband would disapprove. Her goal was to become financially independent, but when her husband found out, he tried to take her phone and even threw her work clothes and cleaning products behind a wire fence, making it impossible for her to retrieve them.
Another survivor shares a similar story of enduring abuse and feeling terrified to speak out. This fear is often instilled by abusers, who manipulate and control their victims. In Olga's case, her husband even went as far as posting her number on an adult website, causing her to receive unwanted calls at all hours of the night. He also warned her that no one would believe her if she reported him, leaving Olga feeling helpless and trapped.
Despite the abuse, Olga mustered up the courage to ask her husband for a divorce on Halloween night in 2022. In response, he violently attacked her in front of their children, leaving her with a split lip and a shaking jaw. She was afraid to go to the hospital, fearing that her husband would be left alone with their children. Two weeks later, he was arrested, but he did not spend any time in jail. For Olga, the fact that her husband received a lengthy suspended sentence was a small step in the right direction. "I didn't know what to expect from the sentencing," she shares, "but at least he's following the rules of the restraining order. However, no one should live in fear. Sentencing is crucial in sending a message that perpetrators of violence will be punished."
While Olga is still waiting for her divorce to be finalized, 33-year-old Anna* has ten more years to recover from the horrific abuse she endured at the hands of her ex before he walks free. Anna's abuser, Ben*, used emotional manipulation to control her. They met in 2021, and things seemed perfect at first. However, things quickly turned violent, with the first assault happening when Ben asked to see Anna's phone. When she refused, he bit her face in anger, leaving her bleeding and in shock.
For Anna, reporting her abuser was not an option. She was too scared of what he might do to her if she went to the police. Instead, she stayed with her mother, while Ben constantly called her, apologizing and telling her how much he loved her. "He got in my head," Anna shares. "He made me believe that he loved me like no one else ever could. That's what abusers do." It wasn't until two weeks after Halloween 2022, when Anna's neighbor reported Ben to the police, that he was arrested. However, like Olga's husband, Ben did not spend any time in jail, leaving Anna feeling let down by the justice system.
These stories highlight the urgent need for stricter sentencing for domestic abuse. Survivors like Olga and Anna deserve justice, and it's time for the justice system to step up and send a clear message that abuse will not be tolerated. No one should have to live in fear, and it's crucial that perpetrators of violence are held accountable for their actions. It's time for change, and it starts with tougher sentencing for domestic abusers.
Olga Pramanik had been through years of abuse at the hands of her husband, Kaushik Pramanik. She used to sleep on the sofa in her clothes and shoes, just in case she needed to make a quick escape. The controlling behavior started when they moved to England from Switzerland in 2016. Olga wanted to get a job, but her husband didn't approve. He wanted her to do exactly what he wanted, and she only had access to his credit card for food shopping. She didn't even have her own bank account, and he had set up a joint account without her consent.
Things took a turn for the worse when Kaushik became physically abusive in 2022. The authorities got involved, and he was found guilty and sentenced to 30 weeks in jail for coercive and controlling behavior and 10 weeks for assault by beating. However, the sentence was suspended for one year. This meant that despite years of abuse, Olga's husband walked free from court. Even with a restraining order in place, he still had more freedom than she did while living with him.
According to the Office of National Statistics' Crime Survey, an estimated 2.1 million people in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2023. Shockingly, despite a 50% increase in such crimes since 2018, the number of prosecutions has decreased by 42% in the same period, according to domestic abuse charity Advance. Olga was one of the survivors who shared her story in their recent report, Her Story, Her Justice. She expressed her disappointment with the lenient sentencing and how it does not deter perpetrators from repeating their actions.
During her abusive relationship, Olga took matters into her own hands and set up a secret bank account and got her first phone, knowing her husband would disapprove. She wanted to become financially independent by getting a job as a cleaner, but when Kaushik found out, he tried to take her phone and even threw away her work clothes and cleaning products. One survivor told Advance how many women are too scared to press charges, and even when they do, the sentences are not severe enough to prevent future abuse.
Kaushik's controlling behavior didn't stop there. He even went as far as putting Olga's number on an adult website and telling the street's WhatsApp group that she was a prostitute. He warned her that no one would believe her if she reported him. With her confidence at an all-time low, Olga gave in and stopped working. Despite this, Kaushik continued to terrorize her, even calling the police to report her for sex work.
Finally, on Halloween night in 2022, Olga mustered up the courage to tell her husband that she wanted a divorce. In response, he physically assaulted her in front of their children. She was left with a split lip and a shaking jaw, unsure if it was broken. She didn't want to leave her children with him, so she didn't go to the hospital for fear of explaining what happened. Two weeks later, Kaushik was arrested, but he didn't spend any time in jail. For Olga, the fact that he received such a lengthy suspended sentence is a small step in the right direction.
While Olga waits for her divorce to be finalized, Anna, a 33-year-old mother of two, has ten years to heal from the horrific abuse she endured at the hands of her ex-partner, Ben. The couple met in 2021, and at first, there were no signs of the violence to come. Anna remembers the first assault when Ben bit her face in a fit of jealousy over her phone. She was too scared to report him and ended up staying at her mother's house, where Ben continued to manipulate her with apologies and promises of love.
That's the thing about abusers; they know how to get into your head. Anna's abuser, Ben, used emotional manipulation to make her believe that he loved her like no one else ever could. However, the abuse didn't stop there. He would often throw stones at her and chase her with a stick, silently so that the neighbors wouldn't hear. Anna was always on edge, sleeping only four hours a day, afraid of what he might do next.
It wasn't until her neighbor reported Ben to the police that he was arrested. However, he didn't spend any time in jail, and Anna believes that the lengthy suspended sentence at least sends a message that perpetrators of violence will be punished. But she also knows that no one should have to live in fear, and tougher sentencing is necessary to prevent future abuse.
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