Surrey Came Together for Change
Now we must turn that unity into action!
RECOGNISE THE PATTERNS. RECOGNISE THE DANGER. JOIN THE DOTS.
SHARE THE INFORMATION. IDENTIFY THE RISK. PREVENT THE HARM.
On 1 October, we came together at Gorse Hill Hotel in Woking for Together for Change — an event bringing together campaigners, professionals, organisations and people united by one common goal: preventing violence against women and girls and ensuring that high-risk domestic abusers and stalkers are identified, tracked and monitored.
This was about more than an event. It was about bringing people together, sharing knowledge, raising awareness and strengthening our collective determination to create meaningful change.
Why Your Sanctuary Matters
A huge part of this coming together was Your Sanctuary, whose vital work across Surrey supports people subjected to domestic abuse. Their work highlights why prevention, protection and accountability must go hand in hand.
Domestic abuse can happen to people of all genders, and everyone deserves access to support, safety and protection.
But responding to domestic abuse is only part of the picture. We must also work towards preventing further harm by recognising patterns of abusive behaviour, connecting relevant information and ensuring that high-risk domestic abusers and stalkers are appropriately managed.
Why We Need a National Register
We support the campaign for a National Register for High-Risk Domestic Abusers and Stalkers, with mandatory inclusion in MAPPA/MAPPS and a consistent national framework for tracking, monitoring and managing those who pose the greatest risk.
We must recognise the danger of stalking and understand how it can escalate to serious harm and
homicide.
Stalking is not harmless attention, an unwanted expression of affection or simply an ex-partner refusing to move on.
It can be a frightening pattern of fixated, obsessive and repeated behaviour that leaves people feeling unsafe in their own homes and lives.
In some cases, stalking is linked to escalating threats, violence and homicide. Recognising warning signs, connecting information across agencies and responding appropriately to risk can be critical to preventing further harm.
We cannot afford to view incidents in isolation when they may form part of a wider pattern of escalating behaviour. When information is fragmented, risks can be missed and opportunities to intervene can be lost. High-risk domestic abusers and stalkers must be identified, and the risks they pose must be taken seriously, assessed and actively managed.
People subjected to abuse should not have to carry the responsibility of warning the next person. Nor should vital information about a perpetrator's history be lost between agencies, relationships or geographical boundaries.
The responsibility for preventing further harm must not rest on victims alone.
We stand alongside Laura Richards and Zoe Dronfield in calling for a more joined-up approach that recognises patterns, shares relevant intelligence and ensures high-risk domestic abusers and stalkers are proactively managed.
We also recognise the vital work of Your Sanctuary in supporting people subjected to domestic abuse across Surrey.
Supporting people who need safety and protection is essential, but prevention must also be at the heart of our response.
By bringing together frontline services, campaigners, professionals and people with lived experience, we can strengthen the call for meaningful change.
A Step Forward — But We Must Go Further
We welcome the Government's announcement that, from 5 October 2026, courts must formally record when domestic abuse was a factor in an offence at sentencing. This is an important step towards making abusive behaviour more visible across the criminal justice system.
But recording domestic abuse is not the same as ensuring that high-risk domestic abusers and stalkers are consistently tracked and monitored.
We must turn better identification into better protection.
We need a national approach that joins up information, recognises repeat and escalating behaviour, understands the risks associated with stalking, and ensures high-risk domestic abusers and stalkers are proactively managed through the appropriate systems.
Thank you to Your Sanctuary, everyone who joined us at Together for Change in Surrey on 1 October, and all those who continue to use their voices, expertise and lived experience to push for meaningful change.
For Laura. For Ella. For Libby. For Zoe. For every person subjected to abuse whose warnings have not
been heard — and for everyone who deserves to live safely, free from abuse and fear.
This is what happens when we come together. Now let’s make sure our voices lead to action.
SIGN AND SHARE THE PETITION
Read the campaign update on Change.org
Sign the National Register petition
#TogetherForChange #LaurellaAndLibbysLegacy #NationalRegister #HighRiskDomesticAbusersAndStalkers #YourSanctuary
#DomesticAbuse #Stalking #CoerciveControl #VAWG #MayTheirVoicesSaveLives
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