RANEEM’S LAW: Domestic abuse specialist to sit inside Dyfed-Powys 999 control room from August

From next month, anyone ringing Dyfed-Powys Police about domestic abuse will have a specialist in the control room whose only job is keeping victims safe.

The force is embedding an independent domestic violence adviser (IDVA) inside its Force Communication Centre from August, becoming one of twelve forces in the second phase of the Home Office’s Raneem’s Law programme.

The adviser, provided full-time by charity Calan DVS, will work alongside call handlers to spot high-risk cases and get safeguarding in place from the moment someone first picks up the phone, rather than later in the process.

Raneem’s Law is named in memory of Raneem Oudeh and her mother, Khaola Saleem, who were murdered in 2018 after Raneem had repeatedly called police for help.

The 22-year-old and her mother were killed in Solihull by Raneem’s estranged husband, who was later jailed for life. Raneem had dialled 999 on the night of the attack.

The Home Office programme that carries her name is putting domestic abuse specialists into police control rooms across England and Wales, to identify risk earlier and improve protection for victims.

Detective Inspector Katie Cuthbertson, of the force’s Vulnerability Hub, said the first interaction someone has with police after experiencing domestic abuse “can be one of the most important, both practically and emotionally”.

Having a specialist embedded in the communication centre would strengthen the force’s ability to assess risk and put the right safeguarding in place at the earliest opportunity, she said, alongside “the relentless pursuit of those responsible for causing harm”.

She hoped the new measure would give victims “greater confidence and reassurance” in reporting abuse.

Calan DVS has supported victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence across south, mid and west Wales for more than 70 years. Its advisers work with those at the highest risk of harm, providing advocacy, safety planning and emotional support while helping victims navigate the criminal justice system.

A spokesperson for Calan DVS said embedding the adviser in the control room would “help identify high-risk victims earlier” and ultimately protect “more victims and their children from future harm”.

The Home Office grant is held by the office of Dyfed-Powys police and crime commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn, who said bringing the force and Calan DVS together would ensure people reaching for help receive “an informed, timely and effective response from the very first point of contact”.

The new role will operate alongside the force’s Domestic Abuse Virtual Response Unit, which since 2024 has given victims of non-urgent domestic incidents the option of speaking to an officer by video call, meaning specialist cover across all levels of risk.

Dyfed-Powys covers Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire along with Ceredigion and Powys, some of the most rural policing territory in England and Wales, where distance from a station can make that first phone call matter even more.

If you or someone you know is affected by domestic abuse, the Live Fear Free helpline offers free, confidential advice 24 hours a day on 0808 80 10 800. In an emergency, always call 999.