Thread by @mizzledrizzle

#ReclaimTheseStreets This is for you Sarah Everad “It could have been anyone of us in your place” reads one of the cards for #SarahEverard on #ClaphamCommon
#Reclaimthesestreets #ReclaimTheStreets #shewasjustwalkinghome
Warning long tweet ahead

I once knew a woman who was married to a police officer. They separated, after years of mental abuse, she left with their young children, moving into rented accommodation. And he stalked her. She never knew until he told her.

He showed her exactly where he could stand without being seen, to look into her kitchen windows. He showed her where he could park to monitor who went into and out of her property. He was convinced she was having an affair. Which, of course, she wasn’t.

It sent chills right though her. Around that time he tried to abduct the children, having stalked her to a place where he could block her car off. She had to tell these very young and scared children to lock their doors and on no account open them to daddy. She called 999.

The children cried. They didn’t understand. He beseeched the children, begged them to open their doors, to go with him. His Police Sergeant arrived, they like to keep things like this on the ‘down low’, so no sirens, just blue lights. The children were terrified,

what was going to happen to daddy? The traumatised mother and children were ushered into the house by a WPC. Statements were taken. ‘Words of advice’ given to the Police Officer husband, who was asked to leave the scene to ‘let things calm down’.

The woman went home with the children and the next day the Domestic Violence Unit fitted her house with a panic alarm, which would alert on duty police officers to come to her aid immediately.
The story of this woman is not finished, it continues as many other women’s stories:

long and sad tales of manipulation, mental and emotional abuse, brainwashing by this narcissistic and misogynistic Police Officer, who eventually ignored the final Court Order at divorce, for shared parenting. By this point she was an emotional wreck and very ill.

He took their children and she never saw them again. #ParentalAlienation
I tell you her story because tonight she let me. She is a warrior woman, just like all the women who stand shoulder to shoulder tonight, in solidarity, to say enough is enough.

Her story is shared to remember #SarahEverad and shine a light to remember her and all the women who feel unsafe, go missing and face violence on our streets every day.
#SarahEverardvigil
#DomesticAbuse #domesticviolence

Hey @threadreaderapp would you mind unrolling for me?