When most people think of rural England, they think of peace, tranquillity and a slower way of life.

However, although a close relationship with nature and less noise from traffic can do wonders for some, the silence can be deafening for those trapped in abusive relationships.

Whilst the lockdown means that a lot of us are safe at home, this is not necessarily true for those who are now stuck at home with their abuser.

This situation is made worse for those living in remote areas, where the already-strained services have been made even more sparse by the pandemic.

Cotswolds District Councillor Jenny Forde (LD, Chedworth and Churn Valley), cabinet member for health, wellbeing, and public safety and chairman of Cotswolds Community Safety Partnership, has described isolated rural areas as ‘the perfect breeding ground’ for domestic abuse.

“I think the big thing is that the way abusers work, particularly with coercive control, is that they tend to try and isolate the victim. They try and cut off the connections [the victim has] with other people, and stop them from going out and seeing them,” she said.

“So actually, in a rural area like ours which many of us enjoy, it’s the perfect breeding ground for maintaining that isolation. For example, someone drove off with the kids’ car seats in the car so [the victim] couldn’t go out with the kids.”

A report into domestic abuse in rural areas has found that abuse lasts on average 25 per cent longer in rural areas.

The UK-wide report compiled by the National Rural Crime Network (NRCN), which had been a year in the making, has for the first time given a comprehensive examination of the impact of rurality on domestic abuse victims and services, the commonalities and differences between rural and urban experiences.

The report also finds rural victims are half as likely to report their abuse to others, there is a lack of readily accessible support services, victims live in a society that defacto protects the perpetrators and rural victims are isolated, unsupported and unprotected in a “rural hell” which is purposefully “normalised”.

The Domestic Abuse in Rural Areas report said exiting abuse is harder, takes longer and is more complex as there are significant additional in rural communities compared to urban areas such as the difficulties with starting a new life and the accessibility of service are much harder to obtain which make reporting abuse half as likely.