A grieving family have revealed police missed a string of chances to stop an “evil and controlling” handyman who murdered two women in just 16 months.
Carl Cooper, 66, was branded a danger to women as he was jailed for 35 years for murdering former partners Naomi Hunte, 41, and Fiona Holm, 48, whose body has never been found. Both women had reported Cooper to the police for domestic abuse before they were killed.
In their first interview about the case, Ms Holm’s heartbroken family hit out at the Met for not stopping the abusive killer sooner and failing to alert the mother of four about his violent past.
Under the “right to know” section of Clare’s Law – also known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme – officers are allowed to disclose information about an abuser’s history if they fear for a new partner’s safety. But in a report this month, police inspectors found the Met is failing to make proper use of the law and is only making 3.3 disclosures per 100,000 people under the right to know scheme – far below the national average of 17.5.
The domestic abuse charity Refuge slammed the “woefully low” figures, adding: “This is consistent with what we hear from many domestic abuse survivors, as well as in Domestic Homicide Reviews, and begs the question, why aren’t women being supported when they report their abusers and disclose concerns, especially if their perpetrator is already known to the police?
“We need to see police forces acting earlier, listening to women’s voices and taking their concerns seriously, enacting vital safety planning to protect them. The focus needs to be on prevention, not issuing apologies when it’s too late.”
In a series of damning developments in the Cooper double murder case, The Independent can reveal:
An anonymous 999 caller reported Cooper for murdering a woman around the time Fiona Holm disappeared – but police wrongly classed it as a hoax
Denne historien er fra September 01, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 01, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Draper puts health first in his bid to break the top 10
Brit No 1 managing hip problem ahead of Australian Open
Arteta needs a 'can opener' to cure misfiring Gunners
Mikel Arteta is aware that Arsenal need more “explosiveness” in attack, and his staff are looking to rectify this in the January transfer window, although much of this would have been clear to see before Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle United.
Hammers seek Potter magic after Lopetegui exit farce
Farewell, Julen Lopetegui. You leave West Ham as you arrived: unwanted by fans, and even by technical director Tim Steidten, it seems.
Spurs subdue Liverpool and dream of Wembley
It’s a bit premature to say this was a night when Tottenham Hotspur’s young team came of age, but this 1-0 victory over Liverpool was an impressive show of maturity when they most needed it. An 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall appropriately settled it, crowning the fine work of fellow teenager Archie Gray.
FTSE 250 and pound slump as UK gilt yields hit a high
London’s stock markets faltered yesterday, with the FTSE 250 slumping to a five-month low and the pound weakening as UK long-term borrowing costs continued to spike.
Bodies of father and son hostages recovered in Gaza
The bodies of two Israeli hostages have been recovered by troops in Gaza, Israel’s defence minister said yesterday.
French minister tells Trump Europe will protect borders
France’s foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot has fiercely defended the European Union in response to US president-elect Donald Trump’s claim that America should take ownership and control of Greenland”.
'I did my best to prevent it'
Mother of 14-year-old stabbing victim Kelyan Bokassa tells Barney Davis her heart skipped’ every time her son went out
Brexiteers left infuriated by PM's Foreign Office choice
The appointment of Theresa May’s former chief negotiator with the European Union as the most senior civil servant in the Foreign Office (FCDO) by Sir Keir Starmer is being seen as a statement of intent in his determination to reset relations with the EU.
Corbyn attacks Starmer on private sector's role in NHS
Jeremy Corbyn has accused Sir Keir Starmer of betraying” the health service by introducing a much greater role for the private sector, which he warns will hollow out the NHS.
