Lolita broke up with her controlling, dominating boyfriend 2-3 months before her interview, after just under one year, her first serious relationship. She had previously been raped by a friend when she was 13. Her recent relationship began as friendship as he lived the other side of the country but he eventually moved in with her. Following episodes of physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse, Lolita found it difficult to get him to leave, eventually getting help from the Police.

Julia spent twenty-two years in a controlling relationship with emotional, sexual and financial abuse, having previously experienced sexual abuse at the age of five from a family friend, and one episodes of date-rape as a teenager, and one rape at knifepoint in the street while walking home one night. Her partner left ten years ago but Julia feels her ongoing health problems are a consequence of the abuse she suffered. One of four sisters, Julia was devastated that her abusive relationship caused a wedge' between her and her family, still ongoing after ten years because they were unable to accept what had happened to her.

Ella experienced emotional, financial, sexual and physical abuse at the hands of three different abusive partners. The first relationship lasted seven years followed by shorter relationships of six months and 18 months. When she eventually became homeless she was referred to Women's Aid, and with their support she has been free of abuse for three years. Ella said that had she known about Women's Aid sooner, and realised that domestic abuse was not just about being physically beaten up', then she might not have continued into further abusive relationships. She now feels she could knock it on the head before it began'. (Video clips played by an actor.)