Government responds to M.E.N. campaign following 'horrific' murder of Caroline Gore

The government has issued a statement on the 'horrific' murder in Wigan that led to a Manchester Evening News campaign.

Caroline Gore was killed by her abuser David Liptrot in October 2023, less than four weeks after he was spared jail for breaching a restraining order for a second time. The M.E.N. is now calling for a mandatory prison sentence for breaches of protective orders.

Hundreds of people have already signed our petition which was launched on Sunday (November 3). Our campaign has also been backed by domestic abuse charities, Wigan council and MPs, including one who has vowed to help bring about 'meaningful change'.

READ MORE: He was allowed to walk free... weeks later she was dead

The government has now responded to our campaign. A government spokesperson said: "What happened to Caroline is just horrific.

"This government has a mission to halve violence against women and girls in 10 years. We are going further to protect victims of domestic abuse, which is why we are launching a pilot for new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders later this month in police forces and courts including in Greater Manchester.

"These new, strengthened orders will not have a minimum or maximum duration, allowing victims to obtain the protection they require for as long as needed, and will give the police and courts the powers to impose tougher restrictions on perpetrators."

Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPO) were first announced by the previous government under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. This use of this new type of order, which is intended to become the 'go-to' protective order for domestic abuse, is set to be trialled in three London boroughs and in Greater Manchester where a two-year pilot is set to start later this month