Victims could get more protection

Domestic violence victims could be given the same right to
anonymity as rape victims to encourage more of them to take their
abusers to court, a top criminal lawyer said last week.

Vera Baird QC told an audience of health and social care workers at
the University of Hertfordshire that the government was considering
a number of reforms to help victims.

Other proposals include giving judges in domestic violence cases
the authority to issue restraining orders on abusive men, and
changing the current injunction laws to allow police, local
authorities or even neighbours to seek injunctions to protect women
from physical abuse.

Baird revealed that the solicitor general, Harriet Harman, might
order a review of all recent cases of women convicted of murdering
abusive partners to see whether any agencies involved with the
families had missed any opportunities to prevent the killings.