Domestic abuse specialists embedded in control rooms receiving 999 emergency calls will help “create force-wide cultural change”, said Jess Phillips as the first phase of “Raneem’s law” was rolled out across England.
The new policy, which will involve domestic abuse specialists working in 999 control rooms to give feedback on responses to emergency calls, is being piloted in five police forces, and could be rolled out across the whole of England and Wales by the end of the year.
The new law is named in memory of Raneem Oudeh, who was killed alongside her mother, Khaola Saleem, in Solihull by Oudeh’s ex-husband, whom she had reported to the police at least seven times, as well as making four 999 calls on the night she was murdered.
Speaking at the launch event at the West Midlands police central operations hub, Nour Norris, Oudeh’s aunt and Saleem’s sister, who has been campaigning for change on their behalf, said: “I felt really overwhelmed because this is where it really took place for my niece.
Supt Jack Hadley, the deputy head of force contact at West Midlands police, said: “I think this is a very early step to something that could transform how we deal with domestic abuse victims.
