The Femicide Census has revealed shocking figures that at least 21 men were left free to kill women after being released on bail in a two-year period. Campaigners are calling for more to be done to protect women and girls, stating that “the system isn’t fit for purpose.”
The data shows that six of those men had been bailed on suspicion of offences against women before going on to kill their accusers. Additionally, 14 killers attacked their female victims while released from prison on licence in the same two-year period.
One case highlighted is that of Zara Aleena, who was murdered by Jordan McSweeney just nine days after he was released from prison. McSweeney had a history of violent offenses and was released from high-security HMP Belmarsh before committing the murder.
Other cases include Emma Baillie, who was strangled and repeatedly struck with a knife by her abusive partner Peter Duffy, who was subject to three bail orders at the time. Bethany Vincent and her son were stabbed to death by her ex-partner Daniel Boulton, despite having a restraining order against him.
Christopher McGowan tortured Claire Inglis before killing her, despite having been bailed to live with her. Marcus Osborne was handed a rare whole life order for stabbing his ex-partner Katie Higton 99 times in a brutal attack committed after he was bailed accused of domestic violence.
Campaigners and organizations are urging the government to focus on only releasing the lowest-risk offenders and to strengthen bail requirements to protect victims of domestic abuse. The government has stated that suspects who commit crimes while on bail will face tougher sentences and can be electronically tagged with strict conditions.
The figures highlight the urgent need for better protection for women and girls, as each death is a tragic loss of life that could have been prevented with more effective measures in place.