There has been some movement regarding risk identification assessment and management of serial domestic abusers and stalkers on a national basis, but it is not enough.

I along with survivors, victims, families and campaigners were once again delighted with our win in the House of Lords last week on Wednesday 21 April, 291 to 228 votes.

Our second victory (sense of deja vu) made for a very busy week, which included a flurry of meetings and discussions behind the scenes with Government Ministers. We have been back and forth at all hours of most days, including today Saturday when I am supposed to be off on my babymoon. BUT this is 20 years in the making and I can't stop now, right?! And so the babymoon is slightly delayed and will happen but I/we have to get this over the line and we have days to do so.

Today we have again underlined to the Minister that we must ensure that repeat patterns of behaviour and serial and serious harm perpetrators are identified and assessed and that perpetrators are proactively risk managed nationally. This must be on the face of the Bill and in the new statutory guidance.

AND we have highlighted the important of ensuring that there is national oversight of the new process so that we know which cases are being referred to MAPPA and we know what was done (or not being done), as well as identify good practice.

Without this, unfortunately very little will change.

So we await the reply from the Minister and 'ping pong' back to the House Commons on Monday 26 April. Myself and Peers in the House of Lords will be listening and watching very carefully what is said by Minister Victoria Atkins in the House of Commons about this and Motion G1.

In the meantime, we must keep the pressure on MPs ahead of Monday to ensure that the Government Ministers' words and actions are aligned (er past track record is sketchy at best. See Twitter feed.) 

We know a woman is killed by a former or current male partner every 4 days and a woman is killed every 3 days by a man (Counting Dead Women, 2020). This is important and we need your help - women's lives depend on it.

Please:

* WRITE to your MP by April 25. Demand that Parliament backs serial domestic abusers and stalkers being risk identified, assessed and managed nationally and that past patterns of behaviour, convicted or otherwise, must be checked. Ask them to vote for Motion G1 to the Domestic Abuse Bill (that's what it will be called in the Commons, confusing, I know!).

* Keep signing and sharing all social media posts and the petition #DABill #MotionG1.

Next week is set to be a BIG week. The Government plan for the DA Bill to receive Royal Assent on Thursday 29 April. If they can sort the football superleague out in a matter of days, they can make the right decision regarding women and children's lives and hold serial perpetrators to account.

Let's keep pushing to make that happen. Use your voice. Make it count.

Thanks for all your support. 

Laura and Bump xox