Oasis welcomes the Government’s commitment to recognising the seriousness of domestic homicide by increasing the sentencing starting point for those who murder their partner or ex, as a result of the brave and hard work from campaigners, such as Carole Gould, Julie Devey and Elaine Newborough.
Domestic homicides are rarely one-off incidents; they are often the tragic end point of ongoing coercive control, abuse, intimidation and violence. Recognising the devastating impact these crimes have on victims, their children and families, and ensuring sentences better reflect that harm, sends an important message that domestic abuse will be and should always be taken seriously.
That said, longer sentences on their own won’t prevent abuse from happening in the first place. We must continue to invest in early intervention, including identifying concerning behaviours sooner, helping victims access specialist support, and ensuring professionals across health, housing, education, social care and criminal justice services feel confident recognising and responding to abuse.
Effective perpetrator management is equally important. This means carrying out robust risk assessments, professional agencies sharing information openly and proactively, identifying and disrupting stalking, coercive control and other harmful behaviours, and consistently monitoring individuals whose behaviour is escalating. Time and again, reviews following domestic homicides show opportunities to identify risk earlier and act before abuse escalates to the most serious harm.
Victims and their children also need timely access to safety planning, protective measures, safe accommodation, advocacy and coordinated multi-agency support that can respond as risk changes. Sentencing reform is a positive step, but if we are serious about reducing domestic abuse-related deaths, we must continue to focus on prevention, protection and holding perpetrators accountable before lives are lost.