Victims and survivors of domestic abuse in Wirral will be protected by new specialists in the Merseyside Police 999 control rooms, as it becomes the latest force operating the pioneering ‘Raneem’s Law’.
The measure was established in memory of Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem, who were murdered by Raneem’s ex-husband in August 2018 despite multiple 999 calls to police.
The initiative has already helped to protect victims, with early reports from police forces suggesting that ‘Raneem’s Law’ has led to:
- increased confidence among call handlers and officers in handling domestic abuse incidents
- earlier identification of high-risk cases
- swifter action taken to deploy safeguarding measures and protect victims
Placing domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms aims to strengthen the police response to domestic abuse from the first point of contact. The specialists oversee how calls for help are assessed and managed, often providing real-time advice to responding officers and call handlers.
They also review cases and risk assessments, support staff training and ensure victims are swiftly referred to specialist services where needed.
Nour Norris, lead campaigner, aunt and sister of Raneem Oudeh and Khaola Saleem, said: “When my sister Khaola and my niece Raneem called for help, they should have been heard, understood and protected. Instead, our family lost two beautiful lives in circumstances that should never have happened.
“I am incredibly proud to see this expansion and remain committed to ensuring that every victim who reaches out for help is met with understanding, expertise and, most importantly, protection.”
Former police officer Councillor Lesley Rennie added: “It takes tremendous courage for victims of abuse and violence to ask for help, and to make an emergency call to the police.
"Very often, their abuser will have told them the police can’t or won’t help, or that they won’t be believed.
“Merseyside Police is now of the first forces in the country to make sure that their 999 control room will have the specialists available to make sure that call leads to safety for the caller.
"Victims of domestic abuse need to know that their first call to the police should be the only call they will need to make.”
With an estimated 3.8 million people experiencing domestic abuse last year, the continued expansion of ‘Raneem’s Law’ is a vital step towards ensuring that every victim - no matter where they live - can rely on a system built to protect them.
