Woman, 31, made a will fearing husband would kill her

Making a volition and taking retired beingness security astatine 31 seemed similar indispensable steps for a pistillate who thought she would dice astatine the hands of her abusive husband.

Describing however helium would propulsion retired her hair, stamp connected her head, halt her sleeping and washing, Ceri Owen said she was reduced to "a ammunition of a person".

She went from an outgoing, assured idiosyncratic during their 5 twelvemonth narration to 1 who felt worthless, and urged women successful akin situations to question help.

The UK authorities has pledged to clamp down hard connected perpetrators of home violence, with the curate for victims likening them to "terrorists".

"It became a batch of much assertive and frequent," Ceri, present 33, told the BBC Wales Live programme.

"Pinning maine down, punching me, pushing maine implicit and digging his nails into me."

Over the 5 years, things had changed slowly, from sanction calling, to controlling her behaviour.

Her spouse would effort and power erstwhile she was allowed to slumber oregon bath.

Trying to rationalise it now, Ceri, from northbound Wales, said: "I recovered it became my normal, I'd deliberation I was brainsick and that it was each my fault.

"I'd gone from a assured outgoing person, to a constituent wherever I was silenced and wouldn't reason back.

"Mentally I thought I was worthless."

Ceri feared she would dice - either astatine the hands of her partner, oregon done not being capable to cope.

A "lightbulb moment" came erstwhile her brag noticed a alteration successful her behaviour, arsenic she added: "I deliberation idiosyncratic other recognising it extracurricular of friends and family, made it look much existent for me.

"He was adjuvant and supportive."

Ceri knew she had to permission arsenic she wanted to extremity her ain life, saying: "I could not past being determination immoderate longer."

Despite ending the relationship, her ordeal was not over.

In May 2022, her ex-husband broke into her location astatine nighttime and attacked her, on with caller partner.

It followed an escalation successful his behaviour successful the days starring up to this, arsenic she added: "I deliberation I'd had astir 500 calls successful the 3 days before.

"He came to the location rather a fewer times but I had managed to get him to spell away."

North Wales Police investigated, and Ceri's ex-husband was charged with assault, controlling and coercive behaviour and stalking involving superior alarm.

He admitted the offences and was jailed for 3 years and 2 months successful February 2023, arsenic good arsenic being banned from contacting Ceri oregon her caller spouse for a decade.

Ceri decided to talk retired to rise consciousness of unsafe signs successful a relationship.

"No signifier of maltreatment is acceptable, no-one does thing to merit being abused and determination are radical and services that tin assistance you," she said.

Ceri was described arsenic "courageous" by North Wales Police Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman.

She is the Wales pb for unit against women and girls, and added: "I would anticipation that Ceri’s communicative would assistance springiness radical assurance that if they ringing us, we volition perceive and we volition look astatine action."

In July, the National Police Chiefs' Council declared violence against women and girls a "national emergency".

This was aft it was revealed that much than one cardinal related crimes were recorded successful Wales and England successful 2022-23, making up 20% of each crimes documented by the police.

Minister for victims, Pontypridd MP Alex Davies-Jones, said the contented is arsenic superior arsenic terrorism.

She added: "It is, and it has been for a precise agelong time.

"If this was terrorism, it would beryllium beforehand leafage news, each azygous day."

She believes Ceri would person helped countless women by speaking out, but said: "Sadly her communicative is not unique."

The UK authorities has pledged to halve unit against women and girls successful a decade.

Plans including domestic maltreatment specialists successful 999 power rooms successful Wales and England person already been announced.

"On average, 3 women a week are killed astatine the hands of men due to the fact that of home maltreatment and unit successful this country," Ms Davies-Jones added.

"That is wholly unacceptable and it has to change."

She said the standard of the contented is "horrific" and reported statistic are the "tip of the iceberg".