Domestic abuse specialists put in place across Hampshire Constabulary 999 control rooms
It comes as the second part of Raneem's law is rolled out, after a successful pilot scheme in five other police forces
Domestic abuse specialists are now in place across Hampshire Constabulary 999 control rooms
It comes as the second part of Raneem's law is rolled out, after a successful pilot scheme in five other police forces
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 – who failed to turn up.
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 can oversee how calls for help are assessed and managed, often providing real‑time advice to responding officers and call handlers.
Claire Lambon - CEO of Stop Domestic Abuse Hampshire tells us these specialists will be able to spot things call operators might miss
"Domestic abuse isn't just about physical violence. Those specialists understand coercive control, stalking, escalation patterns, and a call that might appear low level originally can actually indicate a high risk or serious harm of homicide.
So by placing a specialist domestic abuse worker directly in police control rooms, we can improve risk assessment, identify hidden danger, ensure victims receive the right response from the very first call.
Early intervention will always save lives and getting the response right first time can make the difference between safety and tragedy and that's what we hope Renine's Law will do."
Claire also emphasised the potential this could have for culture changes within these call rooms
"Raneen's law is also about creating cultural change within the police. It's not just about specialists sitting in the control room.
It's about training police staff, improving their understanding of domestic abuse, sharing expertise across police teams and raising standards across the whole organisation. Over time, this will create a more consistent and effective response for victims and survivors."