Domestic abusers to be tagged to keep victims safe

In the first scheme of its kind, domestic abusers will be tagged and face being recalled to prison if they approach their former partners.

 

Following a successful trial with domestic abusers in March, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is to expand a pilot in which abusers who have been jailed for their violence are tracked 24 hours a day in an attempt to stop them from approaching their ex-partners.

 

Monitoring the location of their wearer, the tags enable the police and probation services to ensure offenders are following the conditions of their release - such as not entering exclusion zones that cover the address of the victim. If they enter the exclusion zone, they can be arrested for breaching restraining orders and returned to prison for breaking the terms of their licence.

 

GPS tags have been primarily used with knife offenders under a scheme set up two years ago. There have been 576 knife criminals tagged since 2019 and since the trial's commencement in March 2021, 55 domestic abuse offenders have been also fitted with GPS tags. 160 tagged offenders were found to have breached the conditions of their release and were returned to prison. More than half of offenders who have been tagged completed their probation. Pamela Spring, of the Probation Service in London, said that the tagging of knife offenders helped "to better protect our communities and reduce the number of victims".

 

Mr Khan is to expand the scheme with an extra investment of £350,000 to fund another 300 tags, he said: "Tackling violence and making our city safer is my number one priority and I'm determined to be tough on crime and tough on the complex causes of crime." "In London, we've seen the impact tagging offenders on release from prison can have on ensuring they comply with the conditions of their release, as well as making sure those who reoffend are swiftly returned to prison. "This innovative programme aims to change offenders' behaviour, reduce reoffending and provide increased protection for victims."