Calling for public inquiry into domestic violence

Domestic violence: 16-25 per cent of all violent crime; the highest rate of repeat victimisation.

The national domestic violence charity Refuge, together with families of women killed by current and former partners, are calling on the government to open a public inquiry to investigate why victims of domestic violence are still not getting the protection they deserve from the police and other state agencies.

Two women are killed every week in England and Wales by a current or former partner.

Domestic violence accounts for 16-25 per cent of all violent crime and has the highest rate of repeat victimisation of any crime.

Domestic violence is a national problem; it requires a national response.

And each death leaves behind devastated relatives and friends.

Maria Stubbings was murdered by her former partner, Marc Chivers – a man already known to the police for killing a previous girlfriend – in December 2008.

In the days leading up to her death, Maria called the police to ask for help, but none came. When the police attended the house, they took Chivers at his word when he told them she had gone on holiday.

By the time they carried out a thorough search of the house on 19 December, Maria was already dead.

The IPCC found that Essex Police made a catalogue of failures in their response to her.

Rachael Slack and her two-year-old son Auden were killed by Rachael’s ex partner Andrew Cairns in June 2010, after Rachael had reported Cairns to the police for stalking and threatening to kill her.

Derbyshire Police failed to tell Rachael that she and Auden were at high risk of serious harm or homicide from Cairns. An inquest found that police failures contributed to Rachael and Andrew’s deaths.

Sabina Akhtar was stabbed to death by her husband in September 2008, two months after she told the police he had assaulted her and threatened to kill her.

Malik Mannan had been arrested less than a month before her death for assault, but the CPS released him without charging him. Social services had received three separate referrals relating to Sabina and her two-year-old son – but closed the case without even doing an initial risk assessment.

An inquest found that serious failings had been made by Greater Manchester Police, Manchester Social Services and the Crown Prosecution Service which may possibly have contributed to Sabina’s death.

Cassie Hasanovic was killed by her estranged husband in front of her two young children as she attempted to flee to a refuge.

An inquest into her death found that Kent Police had failed to arrest Hajrudin Hasanovic for breaching his bail conditions, and that the CPS did not take a number of steps to safeguard Cassie’s life, including failing to apply for Hajrudin’s bail to be withdrawn and failing to inform Cassie of the special measures that might have been available to assist her in giving evidence against him.

The inquest also found that Sussex Police officers were inadequately trained in domestic violence.

Numerous investigations into the handling of domestic violence have shown recurring failings across the country.

There is an urgent need for a public inquiry to investigate why these failures keep happening. Individual reports put the spotlight on individual police forces and local agencies – but no-one is looking at the national picture.

Refuge supports a number of families who have lost loved ones to domestic violence, and many women using Refuges services say that they feel completely let down by the police, and other state agencies.

A public inquiry will make links between different cases and help improve the state response to domestic violence across the country.

Refuge, along with families who have lost loved ones to domestic violence, are determined to create real change – for Maria, Rachael, Sabina, Cassie and countless other women.

Please add your voice to this campaign.

To find out more about the campaign for a public inquiry, click here.