'Every five days a woman is killed - why we must discuss abuse' Victoria Derbyshire set for Leeds panel
Esteemed BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire has spoken about the ongoing necessity to talk about domestic abuse ahead of an anticipated appearance in Leeds.
The presenter of Newsnight and Panorama will host a panel discussion on the issue at the Leeds International Festival Of Ideas this month, an event that features a stellar line-up of figureheads conducting discussions on everything from dementia and religion to the hospitality sector and hip-hop.
When looking for a host for the panel discussion on domestic abuse there were few better fits than BBC stalwart Derbyshire, who was central to raising awareness of the increased risk victims faced during the Covid lockdowns in 2020.
She said that one of her first concerns when the lockdown hit was those who would be at the mercy of their abusers, and that it was “unreal” how little thought the government had given.
“Domestic abuse has always been there but the lockdown really gave it an urgency”, she said. “It didn’t feel like the government at the time had considered this for one second. What if your partner or parent is a domestic abuser or sexually abusing you? It hadn’t occurred to anyone and that was just really shocking to me.”
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A Panorama show hosted by Derbyshire raised significant awareness and resulted in greater support for victims, as well as more people coming forward to report incidents. Derbyshire also bravely intertwined the report with her own experience of domestic abuse from her father while growing up, discussing how he would be violent and abusive to her, her siblings and mother.
After her mum left when she was 16, Derbyshire never spoke to him again until he died in 2020. Having gone on to be a formidable figure in UK media, Derbyshire said that the experience made her “more strong and determined”, adding: “I felt as a child and teenager that I had to be protective of my siblings and mum.”
Derbyshire said that the need to talk about domestic abuse now is as pertinent as ever, with one in five adults experiencing it in their lifetime.
She said: “Every five days a woman is killed by a partner or ex and I don’t understand those figures and why people aren’t marching on the streets about that. It just seems extraordinary to me.
“It’s so prolific. It’s still so hidden even though we are much better at talking about it.”
She added: “Specialist officers have made massive progress over the decades compared to when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s in how they dealt with it then compared to now.”
Her visit to Leeds Playhouse on October 16 to host ‘Why do we need to talk about domestic abuse?’ will see her joined by four guests made up of inspiring campaigners and survivors who have become vocal advocates for support following their harrowing experiences. They will also be joined by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Dame Nicole Jacobs, who has been central to shaping policy since taking the role in 2019.
As well as talking about experiences and how to spot signs, Derbyshire said they will also discuss how to ask for help, saying: “A lot of people don’t ask for help because they’re ashamed and they want to keep it hidden in the home. And also still, with teenagers, they don’t know what domestic abuse or coercive control is.
“They could be in a coercive and controlling relationship with their boyfriend or girlfriend and not know. So I think talking about it is a great way of explaining what it is.”
The act of talking about it and raising awareness has a real tangible benefit, she said, which is why holding such events can be so powerful.
“For what it’s worth I have always found through the journalism I’ve done that the more you talk about the stuff that can be really sensitive, intimate or traumatic even, it does help people. They say ‘I didn’t realise that’s what coercive behaviour meant. That might be me’.”
Derbyshire said it is always a fight to get such topics through to people who need to hear it, saying: “The news is crazy at the moment. It just never stops so areas of concern like this get pushed out of the coverage unless we say ‘we’re going to have a conversation about it’.”
Leeds International Festival of Ideas will be held between October 14 and 18 and will feature further discussions with the likes of Chuck-D, David Baddiel, Sally Wainwright OBE, Myleene Klass MBE and Vicky McClure. For more information and tickets visit the website here.