New measures to combat violence against women and girls

Following their election victory, the Labour government has announced the first step to be taken in government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade. This first step will see the commencement of the Domestic Abuse Protection Order pilot and, part of ‘Raneem’s Law’.

Domestic Abuse Protection Order Pilot

From November 2024, some police forces will be able to apply for Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (‘DAPO’) in the magistrates’ court. It is intended that these will eventually replace Domestic Violence Protection Orders (‘DVPO’) as they go further to protect victims of domestic violence.

DAPOs go further than DVPOs because they:

1. Cover more forms of domestic abuse (such as violence, stalking and controlling behaviour).
2. Make it a legal requirement for perpetrators to inform the police of any change in name or address.
3. They can impose electronic tagging.
4. They can require the perpetrator to undertake an assessment for behaviour change programmes.
5. There is no maximum duration for a DAPO (unlike DVPOs, which is 28 days).
6. More agencies can apply, in more arenas (they are not just a police tool, the family and civil courts can make a DAPO on applications by local authorities, charities and social services).
7. Make it a criminal offence if breached.

Raneem’s Law

Raneem and her mother were murdered by Raneem’s ex-husband in 2018. Prior to their murders, there were 13 reports made to the police with concerns for Raneem’s safety with no arrests made. On the night she was killed, Raneem phoned 999 four times.

A government funded pilot, from early 2025 will see the deployment of specialists with expertise in domestic abuse to 999 control rooms where they will advise on risk assessments and work with officers on the ground so that victims get a fast response when needed and then referred to support services as quickly as possible.

These specialists will be supported by dedicated teams to improve how the police respond to domestic abuse.

Comment

Raneem’s Law was part of the government’s manifesto to half violence against women. It is promising that the government is acting on its manifesto commitments so soon.

The introduction of the DAPOs has been long-awaited. The additional powers available will hopefully ensure that perpetrators of domestic abuse are identified and dealt with, further safeguarding victims.