Tracy Lewis loved the animals on her family farm in Llanbister, Powys, but said the abuse she suffered from her father was 'torture'. She recalled being pulled out of bed by her hair at age eight to help lamb a ewe, and walking past the bathroom to see her mother with a bloodied face and squashed nose. Her mother told her: 'You have to get the lamb out or we're both going to die.'
Lewis said animals were sometimes used as a form of control or a catalyst for abuse. 'I was getting beaten up when something died, my mum was getting hurt when an animal was poorly,' she said. 'It felt like slavery, we loved the animals and farming but we were isolated and stuck.'
She was often so petrified she considered calling Childline. Lewis's family have given permission for her to share her story.
The UK government stated it is working to address disparities in support for rural victims. The Welsh government said the challenges faced by rural abuse survivors will be considered in its next national strategy against domestic abuse.
The case highlights the particular difficulties of escaping abuse in isolated rural settings, where victims may have limited access to services, face financial dependence on farming, and feel pressure to maintain an outward appearance of normalcy.