Domestic Abuse Specialist Experts to be in 999 control rooms

On Friday 21st February Raneem’s Law was launched which will see domestic abuse specialists will now working in 999 control rooms across five forces, West Midlands, Northumbria, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Humberside Police.  It is expected that it will then be rolled out nationwide. 

This was in response to Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem, who were murdered by Raneem’s ex husband in 2018.  Despite reporting concerns for her welfare to the police 13 times no arrests were made.   She rang the police 4 times the night she and her mother were murdered but the police didn’t respond in time.

Now the Government have pledged to provide £2.2 million to help provide officers advice and training when handling potential domestic abuse calls.  They can help protect victims and get a fast response from officers on the ground and ensure they are referred to specialist support services quickly.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

“Every 30 seconds, someone calls the police about domestic abuse – over 100 people every hour seeking urgent help…That’s why we are determined to overhaul the police emergency response to domestic abuse, making sure that victims get the specialist support and protection they need. That must be Raneem and Khaola’s legacy….We need to change the future for others, where we couldn’t for Raneem, as part of our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.”

Domestic violence is now considered a national emergency with 1 in 4 woman experiencing domestic abuse at some point in their lives. 

If you have been a victim of crime such as domestic abuse you can potentially make an application to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority if the abuse has been reported to the police.  If you would like to speak to one of our Specialist Abuse Lawyers in confidence, please do not hesitate to contact us or make an appointment on our website for a 30 minute free consultation.