DOMESTIC violence reports to a helpline have risen by a third and overall safeguarding concerns by a fifth during the coronavirus lockdown, an abortion provider has said.

Almost 45,000 calls were made to Marie Stopes UK’s helpline during the first two months of lockdown, with girls under 18 and women with mental health problems increasingly getting in touch.

This is around 3,500 calls higher than received during the period between January 23 and March 22, the day before the UK went into lockdown.

Of these, 314 calls mentioned a domestic violence concern, up from 236 during the two months prior – a 33 per cent rise.

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And calls which mentioned a safeguarding concern rose 20 per cent from 1,523 in the two months prior to lockdown to 1,830 after the rules were introduced.

The charity said it had seen a 10 per cent rise in under-18s and seven per cent rise in those with mental health struggles getting in touch.

Its contact centre has safeguarding nurses and ex-police support workers who are trained to spot vulnerable callers and help keep them safe.

But this has been made increasingly complicated by the lockdown, with women cut off from their usual support networks or unable to leave their houses for extended periods.

Amy Bucknall, named nurse for safeguarding of adults and children, said: “It is an incredibly scary time for women who need to access abortion care during Covid-19 and we’re seeing an increase in cases where women need extra safeguarding protection.

“In one case, a 19-year-old girl disclosed that if her family found out that she was pregnant outside of marriage, significant harm would come to her.

“But as she was isolating with her family, it was incredibly difficult for her to leave the house. We had to work closely with protective agencies to get her the support she needed in order to make her choice.

“Our strong safeguarding processes are therefore critical in ensuring that vulnerable women can access the care they need in a timely manner, free from coercion and harm from others.”

Marie Stopes UK said the rise in calls could be due to large numbers of women struggling to access contraception during the coronavirus pandemic, and that women can choose the provider with the shortest waiting times.

Medical director Jonathan Lord said: “Controlling pregnancy and access to contraception is a method of control widely used by perpetrators of domestic abuse.

“In the long term, we worry that women will be forced to continue pregnancies they do not want to keep, as abuse prevents them from accessing essential healthcare services during lockdown.

“This will have significant long-term consequences for already vulnerable women, making it even harder for them to avoid ongoing abuse.”

Women seeking an early medical abortion are able to take both sets of abortion pills at home after a screening and telephone consultation during the lockdown.

Marie Stopes UK said it has identified major safeguarding concerns through some of these calls, such as a 12-year-old being subject to rape by two relatives.

Women who wish to end their pregnancies at a later stage still need to attend clinics, but are being met with anti-choice protesters who are flouting social distancing measures, the charity said.

Marie Stopes UK’s central London clinic has had to call the police twice due to an “anti-choice group singing hymns and chanting loudly”, it said.