Raneem’s Law Expanded: Why Domestic Abuse Specialists in 999 Control Rooms Matter
Raneem’s Law was born from devastating failure. Raneem Oudeh and her mother, Khaola Saleem, should have been heard, understood and protected. The expansion of domestic abuse specialists into more 999 control rooms is therefore deeply significant — but it must be judged by outcomes, not announcements.
Raneem’s Law Expanded: Domestic Abuse Specialists in 999 Control Rooms Are Being Trebled
The Home Office has announced that domestic abuse specialists will be embedded in 12 more 999 control rooms under Phase Two of Raneem’s Law.
This means the number of police forces operating the model will rise from five to 17, with the government committed to rolling it out across every police force in England and Wales by 2029.
This is significant.
Domestic abuse cases are often won or lost, protected or missed, escalated or minimised, at the first point of contact. That first 999 call can be the moment when risk is properly identified — or the moment when danger is misunderstood as “just a domestic”.
What is Raneem’s Law?
Raneem’s Law was established in memory of Raneem Oudeh and her mother, Khaola Saleem, who were murdered in 2018 after repeated contact with police, including multiple 999 calls.
Their case has become a symbol of what can happen when domestic abuse risk is not properly recognised, when repeated calls are not understood as escalation, and when victims are not protected at the point when protection is most urgently needed.
The purpose of Raneem’s Law is to place domestic abuse expertise directly inside police 999 control rooms, so that call handlers and responding officers are not left to interpret high-risk domestic abuse calls without specialist support.
The specialists are intended to help with:
- real-time advice to call handlers and responding officers;
- reviewing domestic abuse cases and risk assessments;
- identifying high-risk cases earlier;
- supporting staff training on domestic abuse;
- improving victim engagement during emergency calls;
- ensuring victims are referred quickly to specialist services;
- spotting missed safeguarding opportunities;
- strengthening the police response from the first point of contact.
What has been announced?
The latest announcement confirms that Phase Two of Raneem’s Law will embed domestic abuse specialists in 12 additional 999 control rooms across England and Wales.
The 12 additional Phase Two forces are:
- Thames Valley Police;
- West Yorkshire Police;
- Hampshire Constabulary;
- Essex Police;
- Merseyside Police;
- Nottinghamshire Police;
- Derbyshire Constabulary;
- Cambridgeshire Constabulary;
- North Wales Police;
- Gloucestershire Constabulary;
- Cleveland Police;
- Dyfed-Powys Police.
The five forces already operating the model are:
- West Midlands Police;
- Northumbria Police;
- Northamptonshire Police;
- Bedfordshire Police;
- Humberside Police.
That brings the total to 17 forces.
If the first response to a domestic abuse call is better informed, the whole safeguarding chain may change: risk assessment, officer deployment, referral to specialist services, evidence gathering, bail or protective measures, and later court proceedings.
What early reports suggest
According to the Home Office announcement, early reports from police forces suggest the initiative has led to:
- increased confidence among call handlers and officers;
- earlier identification of high-risk domestic abuse cases;
- swifter action to deploy safeguarding measures and protect victims.
Those are exactly the areas where domestic abuse response has historically failed too many victims.
Domestic abuse is not always obvious to someone who has not been trained to recognise coercive control, escalation, stalking, strangulation risk, separation risk, post-separation abuse, threats of suicide, threats to children, economic abuse or patterns of intimidation.
A single incident may be serious. But a pattern can be lethal.
That is why specialist knowledge at the point of emergency contact matters.
The immediate call may be only one visible point in a much longer pattern of control, fear, escalation and risk. A specialist is more likely to ask what has happened before, what has changed, whether separation has increased risk, whether there are threats, whether children are present, and whether the caller is minimising danger because they are frightened.
Why 999 control rooms are so important in domestic abuse cases
A 999 control room is not just an administrative gateway. It is often the first professional decision point in a domestic abuse crisis.
The call handler may need to make rapid decisions about:
- how immediate the danger is;
- whether the caller can speak freely;
- whether the perpetrator is present;
- whether there are children in the home;
- whether weapons are involved;
- whether there has been strangulation or suffocation;
- whether there are threats to kill;
- whether the victim is trying to leave or has recently separated;
- whether stalking or harassment is escalating;
- whether previous incidents have been reported;
- whether an urgent police response is required;
- whether additional safeguarding action is needed immediately.
Those decisions can have life-changing consequences.
If the wrong questions are asked, the danger may be missed.
If the call is treated as a one-off dispute, the pattern may be missed.
If the caller is calm, articulate or minimising, the risk may be underestimated.
If the perpetrator has no obvious criminal history, control and coercion may be dismissed.
If the victim has called before, repeat contact may be wrongly framed as “relationship drama” rather than a warning sign.
Domestic abuse victims are often at greatest risk when systems underestimate what they are being told. A specialist in the control room cannot guarantee safety, but they can reduce the chance that key warning signs are missed at the very first point of contact.
The family law relevance
This announcement is not only relevant to criminal justice. It matters deeply in family law.
Domestic abuse allegations are central to many private children cases, non-molestation applications, occupation order applications, relocation disputes, prohibited steps applications and enforcement proceedings.
Police response can become important evidence in family court.
That may include:
- 999 call recordings;
- CAD logs;
- incident reports;
- body-worn video;
- DASH or other risk assessments;
- arrest records;
- bail conditions;
- Domestic Abuse Protection Notices or Orders;
- non-molestation order breach reports;
- referrals to MARAC or specialist services;
- evidence of repeat call-outs;
- records showing escalation or patterns of coercive control.
In a family case, this material can be critical.
It may help the court understand whether the alleged abuse is isolated, minimised, denied, escalating, post-separation, child-impacting or part of a longer course of coercive and controlling behaviour.
If there has been emergency police contact, parties and advisers should think carefully about whether police disclosure is needed. A short summary from memory may not be enough. The timing, wording, response, risk assessment and subsequent action may all matter.
Why this matters for victims applying for protective orders
Victims often apply for urgent protective orders after an incident, escalation or police contact.
In family law, this may include:
- non-molestation orders;
- occupation orders;
- prohibited steps orders;
- child arrangements applications involving safeguarding concerns;
- variation or suspension of contact;
- specific issue applications;
- applications for special measures;
- requests for fact-finding hearings.
A stronger emergency response can support better evidence, better safeguarding decisions and clearer applications.
But the victim should not have to become an investigator of their own abuse.
Too often, victims are expected to gather screenshots, organise timelines, chase police records, explain coercive control, produce evidence, protect children, manage fear and navigate court procedure all at the same time.
If Raneem’s Law improves the quality of the initial police response, it may also improve the quality of the evidential record later.
Better 999 handling may mean better early documentation of risk. That can help victims, lawyers, police, support services and courts understand what actually happened — and what needs to happen next.
Why this matters for child arrangements cases
Domestic abuse is not separate from children’s welfare.
Children may be directly harmed, exposed to abuse, used as a means of control, frightened by police attendance, drawn into adult conflict, or affected by post-separation abuse long after the relationship has ended.
Family courts must take domestic abuse seriously when considering child arrangements.
A properly recorded police response can help identify:
- whether children were present during an incident;
- whether the perpetrator made threats involving the children;
- whether handovers are unsafe;
- whether contact is being used for control;
- whether communication arrangements need restrictions;
- whether a fact-finding hearing is required;
- whether special measures are needed;
- whether contact should be supervised, supported, suspended or risk-assessed;
- whether safeguarding information should be shared urgently.
This is why the first response matters.
A missed emergency call can echo through a whole family court case.
A properly understood emergency call can change the way risk is framed from the beginning.
Domestic abuse is often misunderstood at the point of contact
One of the most persistent problems in domestic abuse response is that abuse is still too often treated as a series of incidents rather than a pattern of control.
Victims may not use the language professionals expect.
They may not say “coercive control”.
They may say:
- “He keeps turning up.”
- “He won’t leave me alone.”
- “He has my phone.”
- “He says he will ruin me.”
- “He says I will never see the children again.”
- “He is outside.”
- “He is threatening to report me.”
- “He has been messaging my family.”
- “He controls the money.”
- “He has never hit me, but I am scared.”
A non-specialist response may miss the risk.
A trained domestic abuse specialist is more likely to understand that fear, control, monitoring, threats, stalking, post-separation harassment and economic abuse can be just as serious as visible physical injury.
Many victims minimise abuse when they speak to professionals because they are frightened, ashamed, exhausted, worried about the children, financially trapped, or afraid they will not be believed. The system needs to be trained to hear what is being said — and what is being carefully left unsaid.
What Raneem’s Law may improve
If implemented properly, domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms could improve several parts of the system.
1. Earlier risk recognition
Specialists may help identify high-risk indicators earlier, especially where abuse is escalating, repeated, post-separation or linked to stalking and coercive control.
2. Better officer guidance
Officers responding on the ground may receive more informed advice about what to ask, what to record, what to preserve and what safeguarding steps may be needed.
3. Stronger referrals
Victims may be referred to specialist domestic abuse support more quickly, rather than being left to navigate support services alone after a crisis.
4. Improved evidence
Better initial handling can produce clearer records, better risk assessments and more useful material for later criminal, civil or family proceedings.
5. Better training culture
Specialists can help train control room staff, improving the wider force response rather than simply intervening in individual calls.
6. More consistent safeguarding
If rolled out properly, the model could reduce postcode differences in how domestic abuse emergency calls are understood and acted upon.
But this must not become a box-ticking exercise
This expansion is welcome, but it must be judged by outcomes, not announcements.
Domestic abuse victims have heard promises before.
The question is not whether specialists are technically present in control rooms.
The real questions are:
- Are emergency calls being answered and assessed properly?
- Are high-risk cases being identified earlier?
- Are repeat calls being treated as escalation?
- Are victims being believed and protected?
- Are children’s risks being recognised?
- Are officers being properly guided at the scene?
- Are perpetrators being held accountable?
- Are referrals to specialist services happening quickly?
- Are missed opportunities being audited?
- Are victims safer as a result?
Raneem’s Law must not become a policy headline that looks good on paper but fails in practice. The measure matters only if it changes decision-making, improves safety and prevents victims from being ignored when they call for help.
The link with Domestic Abuse Protection Orders
The Home Office announcement also refers to the wider rollout of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, known as DAPOs.
DAPOs are intended to provide stronger and more flexible protection for victims, including protection for as long as needed, and may include restrictions or positive requirements for perpetrators.
This is relevant because a stronger emergency response should not exist in isolation.
A victim may need:
- immediate police attendance;
- risk assessment;
- safe accommodation;
- specialist advocacy;
- criminal investigation;
- bail conditions;
- a Domestic Abuse Protection Notice or Order;
- a non-molestation order;
- an occupation order;
- safe child contact arrangements;
- financial protection;
- ongoing support for children.
The first 999 call should be the start of a coordinated protective response, not the only moment when the victim is expected to ask for help.
What victims should know
If you are in immediate danger, call 999.
If you are frightened but unsure whether what is happening “counts” as domestic abuse, it may still be important to seek advice. Domestic abuse is not limited to physical violence.
It can include:
- coercive and controlling behaviour;
- threats and intimidation;
- stalking and harassment;
- economic abuse;
- sexual abuse;
- emotional abuse;
- isolation from friends or family;
- monitoring phones, messages or location;
- threats involving children;
- post-separation abuse;
- using court proceedings to continue control.
If police have attended or you have called 999, keep a careful record where it is safe to do so.
Useful information may include:
- the date and time of the call;
- what happened before the call;
- whether children were present;
- whether there were threats;
- whether there was physical violence, strangulation or injury;
- what the police did;
- any incident reference number;
- any bail conditions or protective measures;
- any referral to support services;
- any further contact or escalation afterwards.
Do not keep records in a place where the perpetrator can find them. If your phone, email, cloud storage or messages are monitored, seek specialist domestic abuse support before saving or sending information.
What family lawyers and advisers should watch for
Family lawyers, McKenzie friends, support workers and advisers should be alert to the importance of emergency contact records.
In a family case involving domestic abuse, ask:
- Were there 999 calls?
- Were there non-emergency police reports?
- Were there previous incidents before the final escalation?
- Are there CAD logs or incident numbers?
- Was a risk assessment completed?
- Were children present or affected?
- Were there threats to kill, threats of suicide, stalking or strangulation?
- Were bail conditions imposed?
- Was the victim referred to specialist services?
- Was the response adequate, delayed or minimising?
- Is police disclosure needed for the family court?
- Does the material support an application for protective orders or special measures?
The family court often needs a clear chronology. Police records may help build that chronology, but they should be analysed carefully and not treated as the whole story.
A police record may show only what was reported at the time. It may not capture years of coercive control, financial abuse, sexual abuse, isolation, monitoring or threats.
Police records can be powerful evidence, but absence of police reports does not mean absence of abuse. Many victims never report, or only report after years of escalation.
Why this announcement matters — and why it is not enough on its own
This expansion is a meaningful step.
But no single measure will fix the domestic abuse response by itself.
Raneem’s Law must sit within a wider system that includes:
- proper police training on coercive control and post-separation abuse;
- consistent use and enforcement of protective orders;
- safe accommodation;
- specialist domestic abuse support;
- better perpetrator management;
- family court reform;
- proper legal advice for victims;
- safe child contact decision-making;
- recognition of economic abuse;
- understanding of stalking and escalation;
- accountability when police or agencies fail.
A specialist in a 999 control room can help improve the first response. But victims also need safe follow-through.
They need the system to act after the call.
They need protective measures to be enforced.
They need family courts to understand the risk.
They need children’s safety to be taken seriously.
They need not to be retraumatised by having to prove the obvious over and over again.
The JSH Law view
JSH Law welcomes the expansion of Raneem’s Law.
Embedding domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms is a practical and necessary step. It recognises that domestic abuse calls require expertise from the beginning, not only after a tragedy, a serious assault or repeated escalation.
But this must be more than symbolic.
The effectiveness of Raneem’s Law should be measured by real-world outcomes:
- Are victims safer?
- Are high-risk cases identified earlier?
- Are children better protected?
- Are police records more accurate?
- Are perpetrators disrupted sooner?
- Are protective measures being used and enforced?
- Are repeat calls treated as warning signs?
- Are victims referred quickly to specialist support?
- Are failures audited and learned from?
Raneem Oudeh and Khaola Saleem should have been heard, understood and protected.
Their legacy must be a system that listens the first time, acts before it is too late, and understands that domestic abuse is not a private argument. It is a safeguarding issue, a policing issue, a family justice issue and a public safety issue.
Raneem’s Law is a vital development, but it will only matter if it changes practice on the ground. Domestic abuse victims do not need warm words. They need specialist understanding, swift action, proper evidence, safe referrals and protection that actually works.
Sources and further reading
- Home Office: Domestic abuse specialists embedded in 12 more 999 control rooms
- Home Office: First domestic abuse specialists embedded in 999 control rooms
- Government VAWG Strategy: Freedom from Violence and Abuse
- Home Office and Ministry of Justice: Domestic Abuse Protection Orders update
- Government response: Transforming the criminal justice response to domestic abuse
Need help preparing family court documents involving domestic abuse?
JSH Law helps litigants in person and family law clients organise evidence, prepare chronologies, analyse safeguarding material, draft court documents and turn overwhelming paperwork into clear, structured, court-ready information.
If your family court case involves domestic abuse, police contact, non-molestation proceedings, child arrangements, safeguarding concerns or evidence organisation, practical support is available.
Contact JSH Law or book a consultation through the website.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. If you are in immediate danger in the UK, call 999. If you are preparing family court documents or considering an application, seek legal advice or specialist domestic abuse support wherever possible.
