Victims of domestic abuse will be better protected from perpetrators under new plans to strengthen the police’s fight against violence towards women and girls, announced by the Home Secretary.
Marking the first step in the government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade, a key element of the wider mission to take back our streets, domestic abuse specialists will be embedded in 999 control rooms.
Almost 100 domestic abuse related offences were recorded by the police every hour on average last year. This new initiative will ensure calls for help are treated with the urgency needed and victims get the specialist support they need straight away.
This will form part of ‘Raneem’s Law’, in memory of Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem, who were murdered by Raneem’s ex-husband in 2018. There were 13 reports made to the police about concerns for Raneem’s safety, with no arrests made. On the night she was killed, she rang 999 four times.
The government will fund this pilot in targeted police forces from early 2025. Specialists with expertise in domestic abuse will be embedded in 999 control rooms to advise on risk assessments and work with officers on the ground, to ensure that victims get a fast response when needed and are referred to support services as quickly as possible.
These specialists will be backed up by dedicated teams to improve how the police respond to these kinds of calls, including using new technology to respond more quickly such as rapid video response.
‘Raneem’s Law’ will be put on a statutory footing by issuing national guidance that police will be required to follow. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
“Victims of appalling domestic abuse need to know that the police will be there for them. Today’s measures are the start of this new government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.
Failure to understand the seriousness of domestic abuse costs lives and far too many have already been lost. That’s why introducing ‘Raneem’s Law’ in memory of Raneem and her mother Khaola is so vital – and has been a personal priority for me.
Through an expert-led, practical police response, we need to ensure that when victims and survivors of abuse have the courage to come forward it will be treated with the seriousness and urgency it deserves. Our mission is for the whole of government, agencies, organisations and communities to work together to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, and today is just one step of many towards tangible and long-lasting change.”
Nour Norris, lead campaigner, aunt and sister of Raneem Oudeh and Khaola Saleem, said:
“Six years ago, when I lost my niece Raneem and sister Khaola, my world fell apart. Their suffering and the way the system failed them is something I will never forget. That’s when I began my campaign, Secure Life for Raneem’s Law. What started as a quest for justice for my family became a mission to improve outcomes for all domestic abuse victims everywhere.
Raneem’s Law will ensure that domestic abuse specialists are present in 999 control rooms so victims’ calls for help are taken seriously and save lives by making sure no warning signs are ignored, unlike in Raneem’s story. I am deeply proud that this government has listened and acted quickly to make Raneem’s Law a reality. Their commitment to addressing domestic violence has shown me that change is possible when we refuse to stay silent.
Knowing that Raneem’s name will now be a source of hope and protection for others fills me with a sense of pride I cannot put into words. Raneem’s memory lives on in this law, and it means the world to me to know that her story will help save lives.”
In a further step to keep women and girls safe, from November more domestic abusers will be ordered to stay away from their victims and face tougher sanctions if they fail to do so through the launch of the new domestic abuse protection order pilot.
The pilot will build on powers police already have to legally order abusers to not make contact with or go within a certain distance of the victim – but domestic abuse victims are currently only protected for up to 28 days.
The new orders will go further, with measures such as making it a legal requirement for perpetrators to inform the police of any change in name or address, imposing electronic tagging, and ordering assessments for behaviour change programmes. There will also be no maximum duration for these orders.
The orders will cover all forms of domestic abuse, including violence, stalking and controlling behaviour, and more agencies will be able to apply for them – not just the police and criminal courts but also family and civil courts, and third parties such as local authorities, charities and social services, with victims also able to apply directly for the order themselves.
Breaching one of these new orders will be a criminal offence, punishable by up to five years in prison. Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs said:
“I welcome today’s announcements on progress to introduce Raneem’s law and pilot the new domestic abuse protection orders.
It is estimated that the police receive a call about domestic abuse every 30 seconds. Emergency call handlers must be equipped to respond with the understanding and urgency that is needed to keep victims safe.
Domestic abuse protection orders should also play an important role in protecting victims from harm, enabling police to manage the risk posed by perpetrators more effectively. This pilot is much needed, and must be tested effectively so that when it is rolled out nationally, every victim is able to access a robust protective order.
These announcements represent a first step forward in government’s commitment to halve VAWG in a decade, and I look forward to working together to make this ambition a reality. “
Abigail Ampofo, interim CEO of Refuge said:
“As we have seen over the last few weeks and months, violence against women and girls is at unprecedented levels. The scale of these crimes and their impact on survivors, victims and their loved ones really cannot be underestimated. Whilst we broadly support the raft of measures announced by the Home Office including specialists in 999 control rooms, we need to see far more detail on how these plans will be implemented and how staff will be safely recruited, vetted and most importantly trained for this pilot scheme due to be implemented in early 2025.
We have been waiting with bated breath for the roll out of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) which were first announced by the previous government under the landmark Domestic Abuse Act which passed in 2021. Refuge is pleased the piloting of these DAPOs are finally getting up and running which will allow more tools for the police and other agencies to implement protections for survivors of domestic abuse. However, we know there are a myriad of issues when it comes to police using their powers to protect survivors and hold perpetrators to account, so often survivors tell us that the police don’t act on breaches of these orders, and they are often worth ‘little more than the paper they are written on’.
We have also seen a very low uptake by forces nationwide to issue current protective orders available, with a Centre for Women’s Justice super complaint showing Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPOs) are obtained on average in only 1% of domestic abuse crimes. For DAPOs to work and provide survivors with real protections from abusers we need a real sea change in internal policing culture and the police forces response to domestic abuse overall. The focus needs to be on quality and mandatory training for all officers on how to issue and monitor these orders, as well as specialist training around the dynamics of domestic abuse. Without correct resourcing of trained and upskilled police officers, these protective orders will be worth nothing to women and their children experiencing domestic abuse.
We stand with Nour Norris in the memory of her niece Raneem Oudeh, and sister Khaola Saleem and all lives lost to domestic abuse. Their legacy is vital, and we must remember each and every life taken by male violence. Refuge welcomes Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s pledge to treat domestic abuse as a priority not just within her remit at the Home Office but across all government departments. It is only through societal change that we can eventually eradicate domestic abuse. On average in England and Wales a woman is killed by her partner or ex-partner every five days, this is an appalling statistic that we’ve all become too familiar with, change and action is long overdue.”
