Firstly, I’d like to say a huge thank you to another incredibly brave survivor who has trusted me with her story. She has chosen to remain anonymous, and I am honoured to be able to share her experience with her permission.

“I met someone who was significantly older than me when I was a vulnerable young adult struggling with my mental health.

At first, he made me feel special. He gave me the attention, affection and reassurance I’d been longing for. Looking back now, I can see it wasn’t love—it was manipulation.

Without even realising it, I became someone he could control. He drew me into breaking the rules he was supposed to be following and expected me to be available whenever it suited him, whether that was in the middle of the night, for sexual reasons or to help with criminal behaviour.

I didn’t even realise I wasn’t the only person in his life because of the lies he told me. I genuinely believed he cared about me.

Within months, the control had become overwhelming. It got to the point where if he told me to do something, I didn’t question it. I just did it.

He isolated me from people I cared about and destroyed friendships that I still haven’t recovered from. Although the relationship lasted only a matter of months, the impact has lasted for years.

For a long time, I couldn’t even leave the house without panicking if I saw someone who looked like him. I lived in constant fear.

There were times when I believed ending my own life would be the only way to escape how trapped and terrified I felt. Thankfully, I now know that surviving and rebuilding my life is the greatest act of defiance.

What frightens me most is knowing that people with long histories of offending can still become eligible for early release. When someone has repeatedly shown they are willing to intimidate, manipulate and continue offending, victims are left wondering if they will ever truly be safe.

No one should have to spend years living in fear because someone who has repeatedly harmed others keeps being given another chance while victims are left to rebuild their lives.”

Sadly, this survivor’s story also highlights another issue that deserves far more attention: the exploitation of vulnerable young people by older offenders.

Many abusive relationships don’t begin with violence—they begin with grooming. Offenders often target people who are vulnerable because of their age, mental health, difficult home lives, previous trauma or low self-esteem. They build trust through attention, affection, gifts or promises of protection before gradually introducing control, isolation and manipulation.

This exploitation can also extend into criminal activity. The National Crime Agency has warned that organised criminals frequently groom vulnerable young people into offending, particularly through county lines drug networks. Victims may be manipulated into transporting drugs, holding weapons or money, committing offences, or carrying out criminal activities through fear, coercion, debt or emotional control.

Research from the Office for National Statistics shows that people aged 16 to 19experience some of the highest rates of domestic abuse of any adult age group. Safeguarding organisations have also repeatedly warned that criminal exploitation and domestic abuse often overlap, with perpetrators using the same patterns of grooming, coercion and control to manipulate vulnerable people into situations they would never otherwise choose.

Too often, these victims are seen simply as offenders or people who made bad choices, when in reality many were first manipulated, exploited and controlled by someone they trusted.

Thank you again to this survivor for sharing such a personal part of her life. Your courage is helping others realise they are not alone, and your voice is helping people understand why stronger protections for victims matter.

This is exactly why this campaign exists.

It is not about one survivor or one offender. It is about asking whether more can be done to protect victims from repeat violent offenders, strengthen safeguards around early release, and recognise patterns of grooming, coercion and abuse before another life is changed forever.

💜 If you have a story and would like it to be shared anonymously as part of this campaign, please send me a message. Every survivor deserves to be heard, and every story helps people understand why change is needed.

Please continue to sign and share the petition. Every signature brings us one step closer to making victims’ voices impossible to ignore. 💜