Im here asking for a friend who has a severely JNSO, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post on her behalf. Im sure the mods will let me know if not.

My friend has a LO and has history of mental illness and PTSD from her time in the military and some other sources which isnt my place to say. The JN isnt the sperm donor. And the house is they rent is in joint names. We are in the UK. I will be directing her to this sub.

A bit of backstory; a few weeks back my SO and I went for a meal, our friend works there and she was visibly upset, she had indicated that she had broken up with her SO and that she would explain if we like to meet up after her shift.

Fast forward and the JN has told her otherwise unspeakable things, about how she is a terrible mother (she isnt), goes out drinking all the time (once a week after shift to unwind with friends, under the premise that he, her SO will be parenting which is the normal assumption) and that he shouldnt be expected to contribute towards the parenting and cost of HER child. He had affectively gaslighted her into believing all this was her fault and he was a saint.

We ended up giving her our opinion on the situation and if there was anything we can do, to let us know and that she should consider leaving him for good.

Roll on a few days and hes convinced her to take him back, he didnt mean it, shes overreacted. Classic abuser excuses. Its not mine or my SO first rodeo.

All is quiet for a few weeks...

Last night my partner was out and she encounters our friend, shes distant, evasive and looks uncomfortable. She approaches my partner and tells her of the repeated senarios where her SO has gone missing comes back and blames her, accuses her of being out at all hours, being a terrible mother, tells her LO that her mother is a horrible person and doesnt deserve her, purposefully triggers her PTSD, shouts at her, tells her shes good for nothing and she should "go away"

Our friend has admitted to self harming as a control and at least once contemplated suicide in the last few weeks.

The line has been throughly crossed and something should have been done sooner.

My partner and myself had agreed to support her and we are going round tomorrow to help protect her and the LO. My partner is working away this coming week, so I am setting our home up to be a safe space for our friend and the LO. Her SO doesnt know where we live.

Ill am going to encourage her to make accounts of his abuse, when she can and im going to recommend her making a paper trail in police reports, i feel he will escalate.

My quest for advice is thus, what can we do legally to help her? We want to fall on the right side of all this. Is there a way we can take him off her tenancy in light of his abusive behaviour. And what other steps can we take to help her. She wants out of then situatuon, if not for her sake, but her LO.

Thank you.

Edit: Thank you all for your kindness and advice, we will be seeking to guide her with all of this. I will show her this post and I hope she finds it helpful with her next steps. Thank you again.