Actors’ stories inspire callers

CALLS to a helpline set up for men beaten up by women have soared since it emerged that Eastenders hardman Steve McFadden was attacked by his lover and his on-screen brother Ross Kemp was involved in a domestic incident with his wife Rebekah Wade.

Mary T Cleary from Amen says she has been inundated with calls over the weekend from men saying they were inspired to seek help by the stories of the screen tough guys.

She says she has received almost 100 calls in the past few days from men who say they too have been attacked by wives and lovers.

"We literally cannot cope so in one way the stories about these two guys has had a very positive effect on men here.

"Over the weekend we had about 50 messages from people mostly citing the 'Mitchell brothers' and this morning alone I have personally taken another, at least, 25 calls," she said.

"It is a very big step for someone to pick up the phone and admit that they are being abused and that is particularly true for a man to admit they are being abused by a woman.

"In the case of Steve McFadden and Ross Kemp, they also had their celebrity status to cope with, knowing that there would be even more at stake.

"They are both portrayed on television as these gutsy hardmen but the fact is that a lot of men who are hit by a woman will not hit back in the same way that women who are abused won't hit back.

"For a lot of people physical retaliation isn't in their make-up. But they must be encouraged to complain about this sort of thing and I do feel that the results of these incidents with the 'Mitchells' has been positive," she said.

Amen says it receives an average of 5,000 calls a year from men claiming they are being abused by a female partner or relative.

Findings of the recent research carried out by the National Crime Council found that while one-in-three female victims of domestic violence report to gardaí only one-in-20 male victims report.