Christchurch Tunbridge Wells was the venue for over seventy church leaders from Tonbridge Archdeaconry to develop their understanding in how to respond to domestic abuse.
One in four women and one in six men will suffer domestic abuse in their lifetimes and for those who have a disability, the likelihood will increase by 50 per cent.
One in five children will also experience other family members abusing each other.
Participants heard Fr Matthew Robinson, Curate at St John the Baptist Sevenoaks, speak about theology and domestic abuse and Merle Bigden, explained about the work of the Domestic Abuse Volunteer Support Service (DAVSS).
Merle is one of the founding trustees and a volunteer of DAVSS and is a parishioner in the Diocese. There were also inputs from the police, social services and the Diocesan Safeguarding Team.
Those who attended agreed it was well worth attending:
“We need to raise greater awareness in our church about this issue.“
“More support for survivors in church is needed…”
Similar events will be held later this year in Rochester and Bromley and Bexley Archdeaconries, as well as a further day in 2020 for those unable to attend the other seminars.