A silent 999 call comes through at 3.13am on Saturday, 21st May. We repeatedly call the number back, where a woman eventually answers and tells us her partner has attacked her and broken her glasses.
Despite not being able to see, the woman is able to lock and barricade herself in a room of the house using furniture.
We visit the house in Fenland, and the woman confides in police that her boyfriend became angry while she was cooking. One man was arrested on suspicion of assault and enquiries continue.
Domestic abuse can take place for years behind closed doors. If you ever phone 999 but can’t speak freely, please don’t hang up or stay completely silent.
Did you know? If the call handler is suspicious there could be a genuine emergency they will play a short message, which will ask you to dial ‘55’ if you need police.
So whether it’s by tapping your phone or coughing, make some noise.
From there our specially trained operators will ask you questions to try and trace you. If you’re still unable to speak, they’ll ask you to tap your phone or cough to answer.
For more info, advice and support about domestic abuse, visit our dedicated web pages: https://www.cambs.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/daa/domestic-abuse/
