UK domestic killers could face 10 extra years in prison under new plans

Domestic killers in the UK could face an additional 10 years in prison under new government plans designed to strengthen sentencing laws and combat violence against women. The proposed changes specifically address murders where a weapon is intentionally brought to the scene by the perpetrator.

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For centuries, the law failed to protect women from violence at the hands of their partner -whether from marital rape or from abuse behind closed doors. Whilst we've made significant progress, we need to continue righting these wrongs.

Currently, murders committed with a weapon taken to the scene with intent to kill have a starting sentence of 25 years. However, in many domestic homicides, the weapon, such as a kitchen knife, is already present in the home, leading to a lower starting point of 15 years. The Ministry of Justice intends to eliminate this 10-year disparity, ensuring domestic killers receive sentences that more accurately reflect the severity of their crimes.

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This change closes a long overdue gap and will ensure those who murder their partner face sentences that better reflect the devastating harm they cause.

Domestic violence accounts for over a fifth of all murders in the UK, with women disproportionately being the victims. While murders involving firearms already carry a higher starting point of 30 years, these new plans aim to equalize sentences for other weapon types in domestic homicide cases. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy stated that the law has historically failed women and that these changes are a necessary step toward righting past wrongs.

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At last, women's lives are being valued as highly as men's. We have been campaigning relentlessly on this issue for seven years to persuade the state just how dangerous these men are. We have lost our daughters – Poppy, Ellie and Megan – to such men.

The proposed law change is subject to consultation with the Sentencing Council and is expected to be implemented as soon as possible. The news has been met with strong approval from families of victims, including Carole Gould, Julie Devey, and Elaine Newborough, who have campaigned for years for increased minimum sentences for domestic murders. They expressed that this change finally values women's lives equally and addresses the danger posed by such offenders.

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What drove us was knowing, categorically, that the current sentencing guidelines are wrong.