NSPCC. Cruelty to children must stop. FULL STOP

Emily's Story

Every night, when Emily's dad went out drinking, he would leave her at home on her own, locked in her bedroom.

All evening, Emily would wait there in fear.
Photography by David Clerihew, posed by model
All evening, 11 year old Emily would wait there in fear. The longer he was out, the more violently he would hit her when he came home. On one occasion, he punched her so hard that she was knocked off her feet and across the room where she smacked her head against the wall.

On the night Emily called ChildLine, she had spent the whole day locked in her bedroom alone. Her dad had stopped her going to school because of the black eye he’d given her, punching her the night before.

All the time she was speaking, she said she was listening out for the jangle of his keys – hoping she had time to hide before he came through the door.

It’s impossible to even begin to imagine what it must have been like for Emily, waiting in her room alone, frightened of hearing the key in the lock, terrified of what would follow.

Last year, half a million children called ChildLine.
You can help the children that need it most. Register your support today.


Message from the NSPCC: These cases draw on what children tell ChildLine, but do not describe specific cases.