At the end of 2015 I began speaking to my ex-husband online on a Muslim matrimonial app, and in 2017 we had our Islamic religious ceremony. His family refused to allow me to have a civil ceremony in order to take away my rights. Shortly after the wedding, the emotional, psychological, financial and physical abuse commenced. The abuse was not only from my ex-husband and mother in law, whom I lived with, but his siblings too. Unbeknown to me I had married into a toxic narcissistic family who had a notorious reputation of egregious behaviour and a history of domestic abuse. 

A couple of months into the marriage I was coerced into giving my ex-husband large sums of money to help with his proposed business plans. As well as this, he and his mother stole my gold jewellery, expensive clothing, and wedding money gifted by my family. My ex husband’s sister bribed me saying that I could only have my money and stolen belongings back if I let my ex husband see my child regularly. If I didn’t allow this, she would spend all my stolen money on taking me to court (as she is a barrister).

I was regularly verbally abused by both my ex and his mother in law in various awful ways. They would body shame me, threaten to put me to sleep if I left the house, said he would end my life and break my face. My ex husband would also ring me up to 70 times a night to shout at me and send abusive text messages to myself and my mother. Also, they controlled every aspect of my life. This control ranged from not being allowed my own front door key, to then being locked inside my home when my husband left, and to controlling who I was able to speak to.  They took away my freedom to choose when and where I worked, purely because they wanted my money and to isolate me from my work friends.

The abuse progressed further once I fell pregnant. I was pushed about, made to sleep on the floor, thrown out of the house, and my belongings were kicked out of the house by my ex husband. Once I found the courage to finally leave that house with my baby, I found refuge at my parents’ home. His family then began to stalk me. His sister chased my brother in his car, as I believe she thought it was me driving. One of the worst incidences was when my mother in law risked serious harm to my child. She placed a sharp kitchen knife in his Moses basket when she knew the specialist maternal mental health midwife would be visiting, leaving me understandably traumatised. 

As a direct result of the abusive I suffered, I am struggling with PTSD, panic attacks and chronic anxiety, almost 3 years after leaving the hellhole. I hope for my case to be a beacon of light for other domestic abuse victims out there, and so we can achieve our liberation. I am aiming to raise the necessary costs for the pre-action stage of my litigation, prior to issuing court proceedings. This is likely to be around £3000.

I would be grateful for any donations and support and I would like to thank those who have reached my page and also to those who have donated.