30 June 2026

Victims of domestic abuse in Teesside will receive faster specialist support when they dial 999, after Cleveland Police has become one of the latest forces to embed dedicated domestic abuse experts in its control room under the Labour Government’s rollout of Raneem’s Law.

The move delivers on a key 2024 Labour manifesto commitment to place domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms, helping call handlers identify high-risk cases earlier, provide immediate expert advice to responding officers and ensure victims are referred quickly to specialist support services. Cleveland is one of just 12 additional forces selected in the latest phase of the national rollout.

The announcement follows local work Luke undertook in 2024, when he hosted a Violence Against Women and Girls roundtable in Hemlington where local specialist VAWG organisations were able to speak directly to the then Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. The Teesside charities and frontline professionals discussed the need to strengthen the police response to domestic abuse.

Raneem’s Law was introduced by the Labour Government and is named in memory of Raneem Oudeh, who was murdered in 2018 after repeated calls to police for help. Early evidence from the first police forces to introduce the scheme shows greater confidence among call handlers, earlier identification of high-risk cases and faster safeguarding for victims.

The Labour Government has also granted over £350,000 to the local ‘Drive Project’ to address the behaviour of domestic abuse perpetrators, and expanded the rollout of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) to disrupt offenders and increase victim safety. Cleveland Police have deployed DAPOs significantly, with around a quarter nationally having been secured in Cleveland in the first year.

Luke Myer MP said:

“No one experiencing domestic abuse should ever feel that their cries for help are being missed or misunderstood. The first few moments after someone calls 999 can be absolutely critical.

“Embedding domestic abuse specialists alongside 999 call handlers will help ensure victims receive the expert response they need from the very first phone call, and is another important step towards our ambition to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade.”

Minister for Safeguarding Natalie Fleet said: 

“Last year, one in 8 women experienced domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking. No society that tolerates this level of violence can claim to be safe for women. 

“That’s why we are rolling out the pioneering ‘Raneem’s Law’ to another 12 police forces in England and Wales, because every victim – no matter where they live – should be able to rely on a system that truly supports them.     

“But we will not stop there. We will deploy the full power of the state to make this country safe for women and girls.”