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How The Police Let Black Women Down When It Comes To Domestic Violence

My own experience of reporting domestic violence to the police was eye-opening in regards to how much I can trust the police. The first encounter I had was with a policewoman when she was pressuring me to make a statement. I was in shock and did not want to talk to her in the middle of a busy street; I felt embarrassed that I was a victim of domestic violence, which a lot of women do. The police officer followed me and said, “If you do not make this statement now, it will be your fault if he were to attack another woman.” “My fault?” I asked her, “I am not responsible for the actions of another human.” The condescending and unsympathetic tone of which she spoke to me left me feeling very alone in my situation at the time.