Leeds Women’s Aid applauds the brave mothers Carole Gould, Julie Devey and Elaine Newborough who have campaigned tirelessly for sentencing reform following the tragic murders of their daughters.
The proposed changes announced this week mean that domestic killers could face an additional 10 years in prison. This vital reform is long overdue; it has been profoundly unjust that murderers received substantially lighter sentences simply because the weapon use, such as a kitchen knife, was already present in the home rather than brought to the scene.
Domestic abuse accounts for more than a fifth of all murders, and women are overwhelmingly the victims in these cases. On average, one woman is killed by a current or former partner every five days in England and Wales.
While this critical legislative shift will offer victim-survivors greater confidence in the justice system, and better reflect the devastating harm caused by perpetrators, tougher sentencing is only part of the solution. We need a dedicated system-wide approach to prevent domestic murders happening in the first place.
If you need advice or support for domestic abuse, call our helpline on 0113 246 0401, use the online chat on this website, or visit Get Support to learn more about our services.