Rural domestic abuse survivors call for better support as they share stories of isolation and control

Survivors of domestic abuse in rural parts of the UK are urging governments to improve support for victims, saying that life in remote farming communities can make it far harder to escape violence and seek help. Two women who experienced abuse in Wales have spoken out about the additional barriers created by distance, isolation and the close-knit nature of rural life, where problems behind closed doors can remain hidden for years. Their accounts come as campaigners warn that the true scale of rural domestic abuse is often unseen, and that existing policies do not adequately account for the challenges of living far from services.

Tracy Lewis, now 48 and a farmer herself, grew up on a farm in Llanbister in Powys, mid-Wales. She has described a childhood marked by physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her farmer father, who is now dead. For many people, the idea of growing up surrounded by trees and animals in the Welsh countryside sounds idyllic, but Tracy says her reality was very different. She has given the BBC permission to share her story, and her family have consented to her speaking publicly.

One of her earliest and most vivid memories dates back to when she was eight years old. She recalls her father pulling her out of bed by her hair to help with lambing. On her way out, she passed the bathroom and saw her mother's face covered in blood, with her nose badly injured and tears streaming down her face. Tracy says her mother told her she had to get the lamb out or they would both die. That moment, she says, encapsulated the terror and control that defined her home life.

Tracy has explained that animals were sometimes used as a tool of control or as a trigger for violence. She says she would be beaten when an animal died, while her mother would be hurt if an animal became ill. She described the experience as feeling like slavery, explaining that although they loved the animals and farming, they were isolated and trapped. Growing up, she sometimes thought about calling ChildLine because she felt so frightened of the abuse inflicted on her by her father.

Now a mother of three, Tracy acknowledges that the farming world can be a wonderful place to live, noting that neighbours will always help each other out. However, she stresses that abuse can be hidden very easily in such communities. Everyone knows everyone, she says, but what happens behind closed doors tends to stay there. For her, the experience was one of terror and horror, with her mother suffering the worst of the violence while trying her best to protect her children. She describes her mother as totally isolated, with the farm being her entire life.

Tracy also points to the economic and social pressures that make it harder for farming families to speak out. Farmers often run businesses that have been passed down through generations and depend on markets and trade with others in the community. Raising the issue of abuse could therefore affect livelihoods, adding another layer of silence and fear. She says this combination of isolation, financial dependence and community ties can trap victims in dangerous situations.

In addition to the physical and emotional abuse, Tracy alleges that her father financially abused her. She says she was led to believe the farm would one day be passed down to her, and she worked on it for two decades, paying rent to her father on that understanding. After discovering that the farm had not been left to her in his will, she says she had to fight to retain ownership of it. Her account highlights how abuse can extend beyond physical violence into financial control and manipulation, leaving victims with little security even after an abuser dies.

Tracy is among roughly 11 million people living in rural areas, more than 15% of the UK population. The National Rural Crime Network says the true picture of rural abuse is often hidden, with survivors facing more barriers to reaching support. These barriers can include long distances to services, limited public transport, poor internet connectivity and a lack of anonymity in small communities. For many victims, the practical challenges of seeking help are compounded by the fear of being judged or of disrupting family and business ties.

Another survivor, Rhianon Bragg, has spoken about how her rural location enabled an ex-partner to hold her at gunpoint for eight hours with no one able to hear her screams. In 2019, she was ambushed with a gun at her smallholding in Gwynedd, north Wales, by Gareth Wyn Jones. She says she knew no one would hear her because she lived so remotely. During the ordeal, she recalls several moments when she thought she would never see her children again. She has since worked with agencies including the police to try to address issues around domestic abuse and stalking in rural areas.

Rhianon has described in depth her experience at her smallholding as part of a new BBC iPlayer series called It Happened To Me. She says domestic abuse turned her home from a place of peaceful seclusion into a place of vulnerable isolation, and that what she endured was made worse by the additional barriers created by living rurally. She is calling for all UK and Welsh government domestic abuse policies to be "rural proofed", arguing that issues such as internet connectivity and distance from police stations must be addressed so that people in remote areas are treated fairly.

Both women argue that current support systems are not designed with rural victims in mind. Rhianon says that at the moment, if you live rurally, you are on the back foot, and that much more needs to be done to ensure even treatment. Tracy, meanwhile, urges anyone experiencing abuse to seek help, stressing that no one should have to endure what she and her mother went through. Their testimonies underline the need for targeted funding, better transport and connectivity, and greater awareness among rural communities and the agencies that serve them.

The UK government has said it is working to address disparities between urban and rural areas, while the Welsh government has said the challenges facing rural victims will be considered as part of its next national strategy on domestic abuse. Survivors and campaigners say that commitments must translate into concrete action, including accessible support services, training for rural professionals and measures to tackle the financial and social pressures that keep victims silent. Without such changes, they warn, many people in rural areas will continue to suffer alone, hidden behind the idyllic image of countryside life.