THE first sanctuary of its kind is opening for older victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse to help women as old as 80 escape their attackers.

Redcar-based EVA Women’s Aid (Emerging from Violence and Abuse) is opening the property specifically aimed at older sufferers.

Richinda Taylor from the charity, said: “Many women don’t even realise they’re in an abusive relationship.

“We’ve got women in their eighties who have been living with abuse for 50 or 60 years but haven’t recognised it. There are a lot of women out there suffering.

“A lot of people think domestic violence is about violence, but it’s not. There is also psychological abuse which is just as damaging.

“Control is a big part of it. They may be very loving at first, but it can turn into years of psychological control. Women start to believe they’ll never make it on their own.

“We already have two properties in the area geared towards young women. Nationally, 22 per cent of the population is made up of women over 45. In Redcar and Cleveland it’s 25 per cent, so there’s a big demographic there.”

“What we were finding was that the older women were being quite maternal towards the younger women, which is great for the younger ones, but not for the older ones because they were helping the others rather than focusing on their own problems."

The safe haven located in an undisclosed location in the Redcar & Cleveland area will offer temporary housing for four women at a time, and it is hoped it will be ready to open by the end of this month.

“I’m absolutely delighted about it,” added Richinda.

“It’s the first in the UK for women over 45 and I’m already speaking to people elsewhere in the country about them opening others, which is fantastic.