Abuse specialists set to work in 999 control rooms

Domestic abuse specialists will work in 999 control rooms under a new "Raneem's Law", Yvette Cooper has announced. New emergency restraining orders will also give victims greater protection, the home secretary said.

- KATE DEVLIN

It comes as part of government plans to strengthen the police’s fight against violence towards women. The Independent has launched the Brick by Brick campaign, in partnership with Refuge, which aims to raise £300,000 to build a safe house for survivors fleeing domestic abuse.

Last year this publication revealed that police were missing crucial opportunities that could protect hundreds of thousands of domestic abuse victims, by failing to impose emergency restraining orders on their alleged attackers.

Police apologised for not considering such an order in the case of Raneem Oudeh, 22, who was murdered by her former partner outside her mother’s home in Solihull, West Midlands, in August 2018.

There were 13 reports made to the police about concerns for her safety, with no arrests made. On the night she was killed, she rang 999 four times.

West Midlands Police later said it “should have done more to safeguard Raneem”, including by considering interventions such as a domestic violence protection order, “which could have made her home a safer place”.