Women's groups circulate violent CD by Eminem

Women's aid groups are circulating copies of the latest CD by American rap star Eminem in which he details the murder and disposal of his wife over a backing track of their three-year-old daughter singing.

Women's aid groups are circulating copies of the latest CD by American rap star Eminem in which he details the murder and disposal of his wife over a backing track of their three-year-old daughter singing.

Outreach workers are being provided with The Marshall Mathers LP album so they "know what they are up against" when they address youths with whom the star is popular and field an anticipated high volume of calls to Women's Aid helplines. When domestic violence was last used to sell a record, in The Prodigy's Slap My Bitch Up, the organisation was swamped by women whose experience it reflected.

Women's Aid's despair accompanies the findings of its own research which reveals one in three women subjected to domestic violence is first assaulted when pregnant and that some women are attacked 35 times before they seek help. A nationwide audit of domestic violence undertaken by 43 police forces over 24 hours is expected to confirm the extent of abuse this week.

On his latest album's 'Kim' track, Eminem - real name Marshall Mathers - speaks gently to three-year-old Hailie Jane before flying into a rage and explaining, over her babyish singing, how he is about to throw his wife Kim's body in a river. Other tracks advocating violence against women are in keeping with the singer's reputation for abuse. Jade Elliott, a Women's Aid outreach worker in North Wales, where 13 support groups have received the CD, said: "We have been asked to go and talk about our work in schools but we had no idea we were up against this. It is frightening to think children could hear lyrics like this."

Eminem's record company Interscope said The Marshall Mathers LP, currently Number 10 in the album chart, was "not targeted at a young audience at all" and had parental guidance stickers on its cover. "It is a hip-hop album, not a chart album and it is aimed at people who appreciate rap music," said a spokesman.

The life of Mr Mathers, 24, who was living in a trailer park flipping burgers 18 months ago, was transformed when his debut album, The Slim Shady LP, sold more than three million copies. His wife tried to kill herself earlier this year after writing to a local newspaper defending herself against her husband's accusations of infidelity.