I was married to a Scotsman and had a baby daughter to him. I left my two sons in Russia to come to Scotland to have the baby as my husband had said it was better that way. [he said] once the baby was born he would pay the fares for my sons to join me.
I arrived 2 months before the baby was born and from that point my husband abused me in a psychological and emotional way. He kept me locked in and would only let me out the house if I was accompanied by him. I asked that my sons be allowed to join me and he kept putting it off.
Four months after the baby was born my husband paid my airfare to go to Russia to collect my children saying he would send their fares when I got there and that he would keep my daughter as it would be difficult for me to manage all three children. I believed him, probably due to my desire to be reunited with my children.
However when I got there he told me he would not send any money for our fares and that I would never see my daughter again.
I contacted women’s aid in Glasgow and they offered me a place to stay in refuge and help with lawyers etc if I could get back to Scotland. My sister paid my fare and a worker picked me up from the airport and took me to a flat in refuge.