The volume of domestic abuse, the sheer volume of it, is absolutely the problem

MINISTER SAYS M.E.N. CAMPAIGN TO HELP VIOLENCE VICTIMS COULD LEAD TO CHANGE

- JOSEPH TIMAN

By JOSEPH TIMAN A MANCHESTER Evening News campaign following a murder could lead to change, a minister has said.

Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has told the M.E.N. that cases like that of Caroline Gore, who was brutally murdered by her abusive ex-partner in Wigan last year, have led to changes in the law.

It comes a year after Caroline, 44, was stabbed to death by David Liptrot, just weeks after he was spared jail for breaching a restraining order against her.

Her family has called for a change in the law, saying that Caroline would 'still be here now' if Liptrot was not allowed to walk free with a suspended sentence.

The M.E.N. is now campaigning for a mandatory minimum prison sentence for breaches of protective orders, like the one Liptrot repeatedly ignored, as well as better monitoring.

Thousands of people have signed the M.E.N's petition which was raised by an MP in Parliament earlier this month. The campaign has been also been supported by Wigan council, which has now launched a Domestic Abuse Related Death review into Caroline's as case, as well Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, his deputy and several MPs.

It comes as the government yesterday launched a longawaited trial of a new type of of protective order in Greater Manchester.

Domestic Abuse Protection Orders Caroline Gore (DAPOS) will allow courts to impose electronic tagging to make sure perpetrators are adhering to them, with the Home Office promising 'tougher sanctions' for rule breakers.

Unlike the current Domestic Violence Protection Orders, which are led by police and can only last for 28 days, DAPOS can prohibit contact for a lifetime with the victims themselves allowed to apply for them directly. The new orders can also include positive requirements, such as forcing abusers to take part in behaviour change programmes.