'Raneem's Law' plan welcomed after women's murders

The family of a mother and daughter brutally murdered by her husband have welcomed plans to put domestic violence specialists in police control rooms.

The Labour Party has proposed a so-called "Raneem's Law" after Raneem Oudeh, 22, was murdered along with her mother Khaola Saleem at the hands of Ms Oudeh's ex-partner Janbaz Tarin in Solihull in 2018.

Mistakes made by West Midlands Police "materially contributed" to their deaths, an inquest heard.

The Home Office said it was doing everything in its power to tackle domestic abuse and support victims.

On the night they were killed by Tarin, Ms Oudeh called the force four times to register concerns for her safety.

It had previously responded to 10 domestic abuse incidents linked to violence at Tarin's hands and five officers have been subsequently disciplined over failings of the force.

Ms Oudeh married Tarin, 21, in an Islamic ceremony, but broke up with him when she discovered he had a secret wife and children in Afghanistan.

On the day she died, her killer spent hours searching for Ms Oudeh and her mother and then spent three days on the run after committing the double-murder, on 26 August 2018.

After the defendant's conviction, officers described the case as a "brutal murder of two defenceless ladies by a man who had spent the day hunting them down".

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, who floated the idea last month, said plans for a so-called "Raneem's Law" were needed after what she called missed opportunities by agencies that should have protected her and her mother.

Nour Norris, Ms Saleem's sister and Ms Oudeh's aunt, has backed Labour's proposals.

Recalling the night of the killings, Ms Norris told BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour: “Previously, she made 13 calls where she felt she was let down by the system quite badly, when you are drowning you hold on to the last bit of hope.

“They heard her screaming as she was attacked, in order for her to be safe the only thing that my sister did was run to her to save her.

“My sister did what the police should have done that day. She ran to her daughter to save her with her bare hands, it’s something we shouldn’t see in our life as women."

Ms Norris continued: "She was failed, I remember her saying to me, ‘Aunty, I don't think I’m going to live for long’.

"At the time I believed in the system so much and told her if she cooperated with the police they would be able to help her.

“By then she had already tried 13 times, begging them for help and he was never arrested.”

"As a family we are scarred by the agony of domestic violence," she said.

"Our hope is simple; that the police will truly understand the hurdles faced by women who report violence, threats and abuse and that they transform their approach to saving lives.

"Our plea is for a future where no other family suffers as we have. Raneem's Law will help to make sure that is the case."

Labour's proposals would see domestic abuse specialists placed in 999 control rooms across the country, following a system first tested in Northumbria.

They would also improve early intervention by introducing stricter time limits for considering whether victims need a protective civil order, the party said.

Police forces would be required to have a dedicated officer overseeing the enforcement of protective orders in these cases and publish figures on the number they have applied for.

"Missed opportunities cost lives and far too many have already been lost," Ms Cooper said.

"We cannot stand by while more women like Raneem and Khaola are so badly failed by the system charged with keeping them safe."

A Home Office spokesperson said: "Domestic abuse is intolerable and sometimes fatal, yet it is far too common.

"Our legislation and policy recognise that domestic abuse does not stop at the point of separation and can include stalking.

“We continue to work with the Ministry of Justice, the charity sector and partners throughout the criminal justice system to do everything in our power to mitigate its impact, to help victims and survivors recover and get back to life as normal.”

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