After years of abuse, my former partner was convicted and a restraining order was imposed to protect me. I believed that once a restraining order was in place, I would finally have some protection and be able to rebuild my life.

But when that order was breached, I discovered how limited a victim’s rights can be when decisions are made about the person who poses a risk to them.

Despite believing that I remained at significant risk, I was told that there was no legal mechanism for me, as the victim, to challenge or ask the court to reconsider the bail decision. There were decisions being made directly affecting my safety, yet I had no meaningful legal voice in those decisions.

That experience made me realise that this is bigger than my own circumstances. There is a gap in the law that can leave victims feeling powerless when their safety is at greatest risk.

The law needs to change

Domestic abuse does not necessarily end when an offender is convicted.

For many victims, the fear, trauma and anxiety continue for years. A conviction and restraining order can provide important protection, but that protection can feel inadequate when an offender breaches an order, is released early or is granted bail without safeguards that properly reflect the risk to the victim.

Victims should not have to wait for further harm to occur before their concerns are taken seriously.

I am calling on the UK Government to:

1. Introduce tougher and more appropriate sentences for serious domestic abuse offences.

Sentences should properly reflect the seriousness of domestic abuse, including the long-term psychological and emotional impact on victims and the ongoing risk posed by offenders.

2. Strengthen penalties for breaches of restraining orders.

A restraining order breach should be treated seriously, particularly where it forms part of an ongoing pattern of intimidation, stalking, coercive or controlling behaviour, harassment or abuse.

Repeated breaches should result in stronger consequences where appropriate.

3. Put victim safety at the centre of bail decisions.

When an offender is arrested for allegedly breaching a restraining order, courts should be required to properly consider the victim’s safety, the history of abuse, previous breaches, threats, stalking, coercive or controlling behaviour and any other relevant risk factors before deciding whether bail should be granted and what conditions should apply.

4. Give victims a legal right to be heard.

Victims should have a meaningful opportunity to provide relevant information about risk before bail decisions are made following an alleged breach of a restraining order.

This does not mean giving victims control over judicial decisions. It means ensuring that information directly relevant to their safety is properly considered.

5. Give victims a legal right to request an urgent review of bail conditions.

Where a victim reasonably believes that bail conditions do not adequately protect them, there should be a clear and accessible legal mechanism to request an urgent review.

A victim should not be left with no option other than to wait and hope that the conditions are sufficient.

6. Strengthen safeguarding and safety checks.

Where there is a genuine risk to a victim, courts should be able to consider additional protective measures, including electronic monitoring, exclusion zones, curfews, non-contact conditions and other appropriate safeguards.

Risk assessments should be meaningful, thorough and based on the full history of the case.

7. Review early release arrangements for serious domestic abuse offenders.

Where an offender is eligible for early release, victim safety should be a central consideration.

The Government should review whether current early release arrangements adequately protect victims of serious domestic abuse, particularly where there is a history of violence, stalking, harassment, coercive control or breaches of protective orders.

Victims should be properly informed about release decisions and provided with appropriate safeguarding and support.

8. Give victims a meaningful voice when decisions affect their safety.

Victims should not be treated as observers once a conviction has been secured.

Where decisions about bail, release or protective conditions could significantly affect their safety, victims should have clear rights to be informed, heard and, where appropriate, request a review.

Why this matters

A restraining order should mean more than words on a piece of paper.

If an offender breaches an order, the response must recognise that the breach may be part of a continuing pattern of abuse and may indicate an increased risk to the victim.

Likewise, early release or bail should not be viewed in isolation from what has happened before. The full history of abuse matters.

Victims often spend years rebuilding their lives after domestic abuse. They should not be left feeling that their safety is secondary to pressures within the criminal justice system.

No victim should have to wait until something worse happens before their concerns are taken seriously.

This petition is not about taking decisions away from judges or giving victims control over the criminal justice system.

It is about ensuring that victims have a meaningful legal voice, that their safety is properly considered, and that there are effective safeguards when the person who abused them remains a risk.

Justice should not end at conviction.