Free safety information on domestic abuse for women
Your safety comes first. If you are in danger right now, call 112 (Europe) or 999 (UK). If someone might check your phone or computer, open this page in a private or incognito window, or use a device they cannot reach, such as a friend's phone or a library computer. Many of the sites below have a quick exit button, but that does not wipe your browsing history.
This page lists free, official information for women experiencing abuse from a partner, ex-partner or family member. It covers keeping your devices safer, planning to leave, and the national helplines in several European countries, many of which speak English and other languages.
Abuse is not only physical. Control over money, phones, friends, immigration papers or where you can go counts too. If you live abroad, your partner may be the only person you know well, which can make it harder to see what is happening and harder to get out.
Self-help is not the answer to abuse. Specialist advisers are. They can talk through options with you in confidence and, if needed, arrange a place in a refuge. We never list refuge addresses, because their locations are kept secret to protect the women staying there. Find the women's helpline for your country on the helplines page.
Cover your tracks online
Women's Aid (England) · Guide · safety · English
Practical steps for browsing more safely, including private windows, clearing history and searches, checking email forwarding and linked devices, and reviewing app permissions and location settings. It is honest about the limits: private browsing does not defeat spyware, and resetting a device can alert an abuser, so it suggests planning first.
Read this before anything else on the page if someone might be checking your devices.
For: Women worried that their phone, computer or accounts are being watched · Free to read; not openly licensed.
Refuge Tech Safety
Refuge (UK charity) · Website · safety · English
Step-by-step guides to securing iPhones, Android phones, Google and Apple accounts, social media, email and smart home devices, and to checking for trackers such as AirTags. It also covers economic abuse and has a tool for separating your digital life from an ex-partner's.
The most detailed free guidance on tech abuse we found, from a specialist domestic abuse charity. Most of it applies in any country.
For: Women experiencing tech abuse, stalking or tracking · Free to read; not openly licensed.
I am planning to leave my abuser
National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge (UK) · Guide · safety · English
Safety-planning advice for leaving: what to keep in an emergency bag (documents, keys, cash, medication, a charger, important numbers), how to pick a safer time and route, and how to arrange somewhere to stay. The page has a quick exit button.
Clear, practical planning advice from the team behind the UK's 24-hour national helpline. The planning steps are useful wherever you live.
For: Women thinking about leaving, or getting ready to · Free to read; not openly licensed.
The Survivor's Handbook
Women's Aid (England) · Handbook · safety · English
An online handbook organised by where you are: unsure whether your relationship is healthy, feeling trapped, wanting to leave safely, having already left, or worried about someone else. Each section gives practical information and points to support. There is an additional-languages section and a quick exit button.
A trusted, carefully written guide from a leading women's charity. Legal and housing details are for England, but much of it applies anywhere.
For: Women experiencing abuse, and people worried about a friend or relative · Free to read; not openly licensed.
Violence against women (fact sheet)
World Health Organization · Guide · psychoeducation · English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish
WHO's summary of how common violence against women is worldwide, its effects on physical and mental health, and what health services and governments should do. It is a factual overview rather than a practical guide, and helps make clear that what is happening to you is recognised as a serious health issue.
The most authoritative global source on intimate partner violence, updated in 2026.
For: Anyone wanting reliable facts about intimate partner violence · Free to read; WHO copyright.
Gewaltschutzbroschüre (Austria, in 20 languages)
Verein AÖF, Autonome Österreichische Frauenhäuser · Guide · safety · German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Albanian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Hungarian, Macedonian, Polish, Romani, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian
A downloadable brochure explaining how Austria's violence protection law can protect you and where to get help. The German edition was updated in 2024; the translations date from 2013, so check legal details against the German version or with the helpline.
From the network of Austrian women's refuges, and one of the few sources with this much language coverage.
For: Women in Austria experiencing violence · Free to download; not openly licensed.
Frauenhelpline gegen Gewalt (Austria)
Verein AÖF, Autonome Österreichische Frauenhäuser · Website · safety · German, English, Arabic, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish
Austria's national women's helpline against violence, open around the clock on a free 0800 number. All counsellors can speak English, and Arabic, Romanian, Spanish and Turkish are offered at set times each week. The site explains the forms of violence and the support available.
The first call to make in Austria, including for English speakers.
For: Women in Austria experiencing violence, and people supporting them · Free to read; not openly licensed.
Hilfetelefon Gewalt gegen Frauen (Germany)
Hilfetelefon Gewalt gegen Frauen, German federal government · Website · safety · German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, Arabic, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Albanian, Serbian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Farsi/Dari, Kurmanji
Germany's national helpline on 116 016, free, anonymous and open day and night, with interpreters for 18 languages and online counselling. The website explains domestic, sexual and digital violence, stalking and forced marriage in plain language, and has a quick exit link.
The national first point of contact in Germany, and phone advice in English or Portuguese is available at any hour.
For: Women in Germany experiencing any form of violence, and people supporting them · Free to read; not openly licensed.
Violences au sein du couple (3919)
Arrêtons les violences, French government · Guide · safety · French
The French government's page on violence in couples. It lists the forms abuse can take, including economic, administrative and digital control, explains protection orders and residence rights for foreign victims, and gives safety tips. It introduces 3919, the free and anonymous national listening line, and the 24-hour online chat for reporting to police.
Official, practical and specific about rights for women whose residence status depends on a partner.
For: Women in France experiencing violence from a partner or ex-partner · French government content; free to read.
016: Spain's helpline for gender-based violence
Ministerio de Igualdad, Government of Spain · Website · safety · Spanish, Catalan, Basque, Galician, English, French, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Romanian, Russian, Chinese
Explains the free 016 service: phone support around the clock in 53 languages, some through interpreters, plus email and online chat in seven languages including English and French, and a WhatsApp number. It also notes that on some phone models 016 calls do not appear in the call log.
Official and unusually clear about languages and channels, which matters for women who cannot safely make a call.
For: Women in Spain experiencing gender-based violence, and people around them · Spanish government content; free to read.
1522: anti-violence and stalking helpline (Italy)
Dipartimento per le Pari Opportunità, Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Italy · Website · safety · Italian, English, French, Spanish, Arabic
Italy's national public helpline for women facing violence and stalking, free from mobiles and open 24 hours. You can call 1522, use the web chat, or use the free 1522 app. The site is available in five languages and includes a map of anti-violence centres.
The official Italian entry point, with a chat option for women who cannot talk safely.
For: Women in Italy experiencing violence or stalking · Italian government content; free to read.
Apoio a vítimas de violência doméstica (Portugal)
CIG, Comissão para a Cidadania e a Igualdade de Género, Government of Portugal · Website · safety · Portuguese, English, French, Arabic, Bangla, Hindi, Mandarin, Nepali, Russian
The Portuguese government's support page, giving the free 24-hour line 800 202 148, an SMS number (3060) for asking for help, and an email address for questions and emotional support. It also has safety recommendations and a guide to the national support network. An awareness card is available in eight languages.
Official, current and includes a text option for women who cannot make a call.
For: Women in Portugal experiencing domestic violence · Portuguese government content; free to read.
Veilig Thuis (Netherlands)
Landelijk Netwerk Veilig Thuis · Website · safety · Dutch, English
The Dutch national advice and reporting centre for domestic violence and child abuse. You can call 0800-2000 free, day or night, or chat anonymously, about your own situation or someone else's. The English page explains what happens when you get in touch.
The official Dutch route to help, with information in English.
For: Anyone in the Netherlands affected by domestic violence or child abuse · Free to read; not openly licensed.
Questions people ask
How do I look at this information without my partner finding out?
Use a private or incognito browser window, which does not save history on the device. It will not hide you from spyware, so if you suspect your phone is monitored, use a device your partner cannot access, such as a friend's phone or a library or work computer. Quick exit buttons move you off the page fast but do not delete history.
Why don't you list women's refuges near me?
Refuges keep their addresses confidential so that abusers cannot find the women staying there. The safe way in is through a national women's or domestic abuse helpline, which can find a free place and explain your options. The helplines page lists those numbers country by country.
My visa or residence permit depends on my partner. Can I still get help?
Yes. Helplines will speak to you whatever your status, and several countries have specific protections for women whose residence depends on an abusive partner. The French government page above mentions this, for example. Ask the helpline for advice on your situation before you make decisions, and keep copies of your documents somewhere safe if you can.
Can counselling help with an abusive relationship?
Counselling can be a place to make sense of what has happened and to rebuild confidence, often once you are safer. It is not a replacement for a specialist domestic abuse service, which can help with safety planning, housing and legal options. Couples counselling is not recommended when there is abuse, because it can increase risk.