'Dad dragged me out of bed by my hair to work' – rural abuse victims want more support
A domestic abuse survivor is calling for better government support for victims living in rural areas. She shares her personal experience of growing up on a farm where she faced physical and emotional abuse from her father.
Why it matters
It highlights the unique challenges and isolation faced by domestic abuse victims in rural communities, where help can be harder to access.
Image caption, Tracy Lewis says as a child she would sometimes think about calling ChildLine because she felt so petrified of the abuse inflicted on her by her dad
Warning: This story contains content that some readers might find distressing
Growing up on a farm, Tracy Lewis loved being around its animals but said the physical and emotional abuse from her farmer father was "torture".
When she was eight, she recalled her dad pulling her out of bed by her hair to go lambing as her mum told her "you have to get the lamb out or we're both going to die".
Tracy, now 48 and a farmer herself, and other domestic abuse survivors are calling on governments to better support victims in rural areas.
The UK government said it was working to address disparities while the Welsh government said challenges will be considered in its next national strategy.
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