The West Midlands Police has expanded a pilot scheme that embeds independent domestic abuse specialists into its 999 control rooms, ensuring victims receive expert support during emergency calls. This second phase of Raneem's Law builds on an initial pilot that ran from March 2025 to March 2026.
Background of Raneem's Law
Raneem's Law was introduced in memory of Raneem Oudeh and her mother, Khaola Saleem, who were murdered by Raneem's ex-partner in 2018. The law aims to transform the emergency response to domestic violence by placing specialist advisors directly alongside police call handlers to improve risk assessments and accelerate early interventions.
Phase One Results
During the first phase, specialists from Coventry Haven Women's Aid and Birmingham & Solihull Women's Aid reviewed nearly 5,000 domestic abuse-related calls. However, due to limited staffing, only 11% of incoming domestic abuse demand could be reviewed. Despite this, the pilot led to improvements in inclusive language, more comprehensive intelligence checks, and better identification of key escalation risk markers.
Phase Two Expansion
At a West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner accountability and governance board meeting, Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Jen Mattinson announced that Home Office funding of £440,820 for Phase Two would enable the initiative to expand. She stated: "The force volunteered and was really proud to be part of Phase One of Raneem's Law... The uplift of funding will be utilised to expand the number of specialists in the contact centre and the hours within which they can operate."
The new phase will see two or three specialists per shift covering from 8am to 10pm, seven days a week. Charities are currently recruiting to meet this resource level. In the first two months of Phase Two, the proportion of domestic abuse calls reviewed by specialists has already risen from 11% to 17%, with expectations of further growth as staffing increases.
