Manchester Evening News campaign could lead to change, minister says

A Manchester Evening News campaign following a tragic murder in Wigan could lead to change, a minister has said.

Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips has told the M.E.N. that cases like the one of Caroline Gore, who was brutally murdered by her abusive ex-partner last year, have led to changes in the law. It comes a year after Caroline, 44, was stabbed to death by David Liptrot, just weeks after he was spared jail for breaching a restraining order against her.

Her family have called for a change in the law, saying that Caroline would 'still be here now' if Liptrot was not allowed to walk free with a suspended sentence. The M.E.N. is now campaigning for a mandatory minimum prison sentence for breaches of protective orders, like the one Liptrot repeatedly ignored, as well as better monitoring.

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Thousands of people have signed the M.E.N.'s petition which was raised by an MP in Parliament earlier this month. The campaign has been also been supported by Wigan council, which has now launched a Domestic Abuse Related Death review into Caroline's case, as well as Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, his deputy and several MPs.

It comes as the government launches a long-awaited trial of a new type of protective order in Greater Manchester today (November 27). Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) will allow courts to impose electronic tagging to make sure perpetrators are adhering to them with the Home Office promising 'tougher sanctions' for rule breakers.

Unlike the current Domestic Violence Protection Orders, which are led by the police and can only last for 28 days, DAPOs can prohibit contact for a lifetime with the victims themselves allowed