Pilot of domestic abuse experts helping in 999 call rooms begins in England
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.
An inquest found police failings 'materially contributed' to their deaths.
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 pilot is taking place in the Northumbria, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Humberside forces, as well as in the West Midlands, where police handled Oudeh's case.
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. It's quite emotional being here.
'But this will save people's lives; it's as simple as that. There is no underestimating this at all. We can't do anything to bring them back. But their legacy, Raneem's legacy, will live for ever. She wasn't heard when she was alive. But through every victim, she will be heard.'
Norris previously said police showed a 'dismissive attitude and a lack of understanding about domestic violence' in their dealings with Oudeh, including telling her to deal with the problem herself.
At the launch, she praised the force for 'transforming their failure into something that is hopefully going to be positive'.
Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, and the MP for Birmingham Yardley, said she was 'haunted' by Oudeh's story.
'I live constantly with the feeling that I just wish that she'd called me,' she said. 'I wish that I could say that what we are doing here would have changed the outcome for Raneem, but I don't know. But the haunting of that and the activism of Nour will keep us trying.'
She said having the specialists in control rooms would create 'a better service for victims'. 'You can already sense a cultural shift in the team, even just the language they use to speak to people,' she said. 'I think this has the opportunity to create force-wide cultural change that's really needed.'
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Domestic abuse specialists from local charities will sit at desks alongside call handlers, listening in live to 999 calls and also giving feedback on recordings of calls, providing training to staff and signposting to tailored support.
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.
'We've never had a third party come in and see this part of our business before. So it is unique. It's very transparent, very open and laying ourselves bare, if you like, for the charities to come and use their expertise to help us.'
The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: 'Every 30 seconds, someone calls the police about domestic abuse – over 100 people every hour seeking urgent help.
'That's why we are determined to overhaul the police emergency response to domestic abuse, making sure that victims get the specialist support and protection they need. That must be Raneem and Khaola's legacy.'
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After Janbaz Tarin stabbed his ex Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem to death in 2018, Khaola's sister Nour Norris campaigned for a new law to ensure no other domestic abuse victim would be failed by the police again It was a murder which shocked Britain - when a domestic abuse victim, who had already made nine desperate calls to the police, was murdered by her violent ex while begging for help again - for the fifth time that night. Janbaz Tarin, 21, stabbed Raneem Oudeh, 22, to death, and brutally killed her mother, Khaola Saleem, 49, too. To add to their families' pain, police had to apologise after an inquest found their errors 'materially contributed' to the women's deaths. Many at the time might have rolled their eyes at another police force pledging that 'lessons will be learnt'. But today, standing in the West Midlands 999 control room where Raheem's last ever call was taken, we are seeing those promises put into action. It comes after The Mirror's Justice for Our Daughters campaign launched to highlight awareness of domestic violence. I am here with Nour Norris, Raneem's aunt and Khaola's sister, who ever since their deaths has fought to ensure no other women crying out to the police for help are failed again. Desperate Raneem had made four 999 calls before the police finally phoned her back - and heard she and her mother being murdered while on the line. Tarin was jailed for life. Over the past six years, grieving Nour has not only shed light on the gross inadequacies of an organisation that should be protecting victims, but has also successfully campaigned for positive change. Raneem's Law - a groundbreaking domestic violence specialist police response that is now in action at the Birmingham operations hub base of the UK's second largest force. Seeing firsthand the results of her campaigning, Nour, 46, says: 'Being here brings out so many mixed emotions in me. 'The mistakes that took my sister and niece's lives were made in this room. But other women are now getting the support they deserve. So much has changed since Raneem called this centre. Knowing that brings happiness to my sadness.' Backed and supported by Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, the Government announced last year it would fund Raneem's Law in targeted police forces. Raneem's Law is live in the West Midlands, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Northumberland, and Humberside. Domestic abuse specialists in these 999 control rooms advise on risk assessments and work with officers on the ground, to ensure that victims get a fast response when needed and are referred to support services as quickly as possible. Mother and daughter Khaola and Raneem, were both killed in the frenzied knife attack outside Khaola's home in Solihull on August 27, 2018. In the weeks leading up to the murders, Tarin repeatedly harassed and made death threats to Raneem, and she made desperate pleas to the police for help, but none were answered. Her blood-curdling screams can be heard on the recording of that fateful final call. On The Mirror 's visit, there are 90 call handlers taking 999 and 101 calls from across the West Midlands. As information screens across the room show, 5- 6000 calls are handled daily. Up to 200 of these calls are domestic violence-related and Raneem's Law strives to give each of these calls a specialist response. For 'preventing violence against women and girls' in delivering Raneem's Law, Nour was made an OBE in the King's Birthday Honours List. The mum of five is now also a 2025 Pride of Britain award nominee. Nour introduces me to Vulnerability Desk Lead Mair Mason who is leading the West Midlands' implementation of Raneem's Law which began in March this year. Call handlers assisted by domestic violence charities now have 'professional curiosity in identifying risks,' she says. The Vulnerability desk which previously only focused on mental health-related calls. acts as 'quality control' for domestic abuse calls. On the desk today is call handler Tara Hobley, now a specially trained Domestic Abuse Liaison Officer. Next to Tara is an advisor from Coventry Haven Women's Aid. The charity works on a rota basis with Birmingham and Solhull Women's Aid as independent advisors. The Women's Aid advocate and Tara scroll through incoming logs - looking for any marked domestic violence, so they can listen in and ensure all appropriate risk assessments are done. Tara explains, 'When we come across a DV call on the log, we will dial into those calls, and make the contact handler aware that we are listening in. 'We are there to provide advice if needed and will also assist with risk identification and making sure that everything that we need—any orders, specifically non-molestation orders and stalking protection orders—is identified and included in the log. 'So when officers attend, they've got access to the information to make an informed decision in the best interest of the victim.' Mair adds, 'Every effort is made to filter such calls to the Vulnerable Desk so they can be picked up easily on the log, with information to call back if necessary and a clear record of times that person has called.' As Tara shows me on her computer screen, there is also a mapping system so police can see, even if someone calls through from a different number, what other instances have happened in that area: 'So even if we can't make a link through the telephone number, there are other ways that we can see, oh, maybe this is related to that call.' In Raneem's case, one of the most shocking failures was there was no record of her previous calls. Nour says: 'The whole system in place was not fit for purpose. None of Raneem's calls were linked. Every time it was counted as a new call. There was no record, no follow up. 'She had made four 999 calls before the police finally called her back - and heard her being murdered.' The recording of that fateful final police call was heard at the 2022 inquest. It found that mistakes by West Midlands Police 'materially contributed' to the tragedy. Police had responded to 10 domestic abuse incidents linked to Tarin. Five officers were disciplined over failings. Raneem had fled to the UK from war torn Syria in 2014 and found herself in a new hell - in a violent marriage. After getting a restraining order against Tarin, Raneem had moved back into her mum's Solihull house, where her younger sister also lived. Nour who lives in Solihull close to her sister's home, says: ' Raheem had called the police several times because he was breaking the order and harassing her, but he was never arrested or cautioned. That emboldened him. He realised he could get away with it—she told me, he told her, 'They listen to me, so why are they going to believe you?' The night they died, they had visited Nour. She recalls: 'I had a horrible feeling something would happen. I made lots of food because I wanted them to stay with me.' Raneem and Khaola returned home, and later Nour received a devastating call: ' My other niece who was 14 at the time, witnessed the attacks and called me. When I got there, Khaola was already gone, but Raneem was in the ambulance and the paramedics were trying to revive her. I was taken inside the house, but the ambulance was not moving. I realised then that Raneem was dead.' She adds: 'There were dozens of police cars outside when they died. But why couldn't they bring just one police car when they were alive? One police officer could have saved them.' In a matter of months, the difference in the police approach is like 'day and night,' says Mair: 'There have been so many positive changes with regard to police culture and working practice since March. 'It's been so beneficial for us to be working with domestic violence charities at the early stage,' says Mair. Women's Aid has worked with police on incidents previously, but never before Raneem's Law, had such pioneering early intervention access. Mair explains: 'A call that came through a couple of weeks ago - we could see from the log that the partner was now in custody and the victim was known to the charity. 'She had been struggling to find a time to call them previously because she lived with her abuser, but now we could safely call that person to get some safeguarding in place. 'Also, our collective knowledge, within the contact centre, wasn't where it could be with regards to non fatal strangulation. There were so many risks that we were not aware of previously. We've learned a lot in the past six months. 'For example, in another 999 call where the woman was being harassed by her ex-partner, he had also strangled her a few days prior, leaving injuries. Live-time advice from the charity was provided to the Call Handler to advise the caller to seek urgent medical attention.' Women's Aid advises domestic abuse survivors to seek urgent medical attention following pressure to the neck area is essential, 'whether they have any detectable injuries or not, and it is a key indicator of a potential domestic homicide.' Although brought in as a pilot scheme, West Midlands Police say they are committed to securing its long-term status. 'I know the Home Office has been looking at how everything is going across the different forces, and I have a meeting with them next week, but it 's our full intention that even should the Home Office pilot come to an end, we will still continue this work and make it permanent,' says Mair. Since the attack, Nour who backs The Mirror's Justice For Our Daughters Campaign, retrained as a psychotherapist. She also leads domestic abuse training workshops through the organisation SecureLife. She says:'The system wasn't fair to Raneem and Khaola, but through them, other people will not suffer the same way - and that wlll save lives. They have left a powerful legacy.' Although never proven, there were 'question marks' over how much ethnicity played a part in the botched handling of Raneem's case. Nour adds: ' At the inquest, we saw mainly that it was failings of handling domestic abuse cases coming through. 'But those question marks should no longer exist because of Raneem's Law - everyone is now accountable for what they do, everyone has to follow through and do their duty- to protect victims. My dream is to see Raneem's Law embedded in every 999 control room in the country.'
