A PIONEERING course of meetings aimed at raising awareness of domestic violence has been launched in Walcot.

The sessions are the idea of former police officer Karen Rosier-Jones, who is on her first placement as a student social worker at the Walcot Family Centre, and they have already won the backing of charity, legal and domestic violence experts.

Anyone affected by domestic violence, whether as victim, other family member or even just a friend of a victim has been invited.

Karen used her knowledge of conferences involving welfare professionals to devise the course as a way of letting victims and their families know what options were available to them.

"I know from my past experience that one of the biggest problems is making people realise that they are victims and they are being affected by it."

Most conferences involved professionals talking to professionals, she explained, and while they were effective, they did not generally deal directly with victims.

"I have been to conferences and raising awareness events and I just thought it would be a useful way of bringing it out into the open. It is bringing the conference to the people."

Karen, who was involved in setting up Swindon police's domestic violence unit, has drawn together professionals from different fields to provide practical advice to people in the area who have either suffered violence in the home or know victims of such abuse.

"One thing the victim wants is to be aware of the services provided. Ideally they want a one-stop shop where they can access all of them."

The sessions would provide a valuable resource and she hoped that at the end of the course they could result in several spin off groups offering longer term support and advice to women.

Only a few weeks ago Jenni Manners, manager of the refuge, told the Advertiser that there were an estimated 10,825 cases of domestic violence in the town last year, although only a tiny proportion of that figure 2,165 were reported to the police.

She said: "One in four women will experience domestic violence at some point in their lives and there are no two ways about it the situation in Swindon is bad."

According to Karen, a lower than average income was one of the problems faced by victims in Parks and Walcot. The crime was committed across the board, but victims in lower income areas did not have the money to escape.

Lawyer Sian Lewis, from Lemon and Co, who will be speaking at the sessions, believed they would prove to be a model which should be used not just in other parts of Swindon, but even further afield.

The domestic violence awareness sessions are being held at St Andrew's Church in Raleigh Avenue on Mondays between 1pm and 2.30pm. A crche is available at the family centre from 12.45. For more information contact Karen on 01793 693669.

Tina Clarke