WOMAN WHO HELPED RUN DOMESTIC ABUSE REFUGE JAILED FOR VIOLENT CRIMES AGAINST WIFE
A woman named Rita Araujo, 31, who previously helped run a refuge for domestic abuse victims, has been sentenced to jail after she drove her wife to the point of attempted suicide.Araujo, who worked for a domestic violence charity, was arrested following an incident where police had to intervene to stop her wife, Rose Garnock-Jones, from jumping off a bridge, a court heard.
Ms Garnock-Jones, 30, a mental health nurse, initially hesitated to reveal why she was suicidal but then disclosed that Araujo had repeatedly beaten her during their five-year relationship.
When Ms Garnock-Jones expressed her intent to involve the police, her partner threatened to end her own life as well.
The court learned that during one assault, Araujo, who was pregnant at the time with their youngest child, used her forearm to restrict her wife’s breathing until she could scarcely breathe.
Ms Garnock-Jones also described suffering severe pain while bending to treat patients and was currently off work, claiming to be on Universal Credit.
She said in a statement that she lived in constant fear of further violence, resorted to heavy drinking, and at one point considered ending her life on the bridge, adding, “Police pulled me back from the edge and I finally talked about what I had been through.” At Chester Crown Court, Araujo received a 28-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour, assault, and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Prosecutor Myles Wlison detailed that the couple started dating in 2017, married, and had two children.
Police first intervened in October 2022 following reports that Ms Garnock-Jones was at the wrong side of a safety barrier.
The victim, initially reluctant to report violence, disclosed that Araujo had been violent, including throttling, scratching, and physically assaulting her repeatedly over months, including an incident in April 2021 when she barricaded herself in a room after a miscarriage and smashed a fan in front of their child.
The court revealed that Araujo called Ms Garnock-Jones a “psycho,” pulled her hair, and threatened her during other incidents, including when their son swallowed a toy.
Ms Garnock-Jones tried to reach out to domestic abuse support and left their home to stay with her mother after the chain of events.
Araujo also attempted to influence her wife’s testimony, asking her to change her victim statement, leading to Ms Garnock-Jones reporting her again.
Araujo was held in custody for seven months at Styal Prison awaiting her sentence.
The judge emphasized that Araujo, once a prominent member of society working in a stressful environment, had violated the trust associated with her psychological and physical abuse.
She was also facing fears of deportation back to Portugal following her prison term.
The court highlighted that her offences are severely aggravated because she was a former leader at a domestic abuse charity, adding that her actions included attempts to block the reporting of her violence, presence of children during her abusive acts, and violation of trust within an intimate relationship.
Her lawyer described her as genuinely remorseful and highlighted the impact her imprisonment has had on her family, especially her children.
The judge specified that her offences are serious and stem from her violation of trust and use of tactics to prevent her abuse from being reported.
Araujo’s sentence reflects the severity of her actions and the betrayal of her former role as a supporter of victims.
