New reforms, collectively known as ‘Kay’s Law’ are now in force to better protect survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
The police will now have to take into account the views of victims before releasing someone on bail. They will also be encouraged to use pre-charge bail instead of releasing suspects under investigation.
Kay’s Law is named after Kay Richardson. Kay was murdered by her husband after the police released him while he was under investigation for raping Kay. The new measures are introduced to better protect survivors of domestic abuse and ensure that what happened to Kay will not happen to others.
The new provisions came into force on 25 October as part of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act.
