Threatening with facial expressions or the body is abuse. Repeated criticism and isolation is a sign of abuse in a relationship.

Foreign women in Iceland are particularly vulnerable to abuse. Perpetrators often take advantage of their weak support base and sometimes keep them wrongly informed about their rights and which assistance is available.

Anna from Russia tells about her relationship with an Icelandic spouse who abused her. After a few years she sought help, left him and started a new life with her children.

A true story about a foreign woman in Iceland in a violent relationship

Anna flutti til Íslands til að búa með íslenskum maka. Hann kom ekki vel fram við hana og beitti hana meðal annars ofbeldi, andlegu og líkamlegu. Eftir nokkurra ára búsetu á Íslandi leitaði hún aðstoðar og fór frá maka sínum og hóf nýtt líf með börnum sínum með hjálp Kvennaathvarfs og ýmissa sérfræðinga.

https://www.jafnretti.is/von

ANNA_á_ensku

At the Icelandic Human Rights Centre, immigrants can get free legal counsel.

The Women‘s Shelter offers counseling and a safe place to stay for any woman who has experienced abuse. There is also a Women's Shelter in Akureyri.

Linh is a thirty year old woman from Vietnam. She and Jón are married and have two children at preschool age. She found it hard ...

Linh is a thirty year old woman from Vietnam. She and Jón are married and have two children at preschool age. She found it hard to move alone from her home country five years ago and knows few people in this country. She doesn’t speak English but has become quite good in Icelandic.

Jón was good about watching that she wouldn’t get bored but after Jón lost his job he started drinking more and his mood became heavier. It seems like it doesn’t matter what Linh does, Jón finds faults with it. One time when Linh is on her way out to meet other moms from the preschool Jón stands threatening in her way in the doorway and doesn’t allow her to get out.

Linh

Is this abuse?