The Salvation Army opened the Patvērums Childrens Day Centre in March 2002 to provide a safe environment for underprivileged children from the local community in Riga.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Urgent prayer needed!
We need your prayers this week for one of the families at Patvērums. We have known them for 3 years and throughout that time the mum has been facing domestic violence from her partner. On a number of occations she has come to us wanting to leave but has never followed this through. This is partly due to the difficult system in place for reporting domestic violence here in Latvia. She has 2 children aged 10 years and 20 months, the oldest has just started boarding school but the younger is of course at home.
Today she came to us with bruising on her body and has said that she can't cope anymore but is too afraid to try and leave. Her partner has her passport and her mobile phone. She has no money of her own, only what is given to her by her partner. She can only go out when he allows it and has to keep the door locked and is not allowed to let anyone but him into their flat.
At this moment in time we don't know what she is going to do as it is very hard for her to get out of their flat without make some excuse to leave but she says that throughout the years this has been happening it is now at its worse.
We have offered to go to any social service departement or the police to provide support and professional advice and as we write she and her daughter are having a meal.
Please pray for her, that she will find her way out of this situation not only for herself but for her children and for their protection. Also that if she does try to recieve help that the right doors will be opened for her. For us at Patvērums that we will do all in our power to help this family.
posted by Patverums Childrens Day Centre @ 6:05 pm
