Age at which domestic violence victims recognised by law to be looked at

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said the Government will look at calls to change the law so that under-16s can be considered victims of domestic abuse, following the murder of Holly Newton (Jordan Pettitt/PA) - (PA Wire)

The age at which victims of domestic abuse are recognised as such by law is to be looked at by the Government after a teenager was killed by her ex-boyfriend.

Holly Newton was 15 when she was murdered in Hexham, Northumberland, by her stalker ex-boyfriend in January 2023.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was asked about calls from Holly’s parents to change the law so that under-16s can be considered victims of domestic abuse.

Holly Newton was stalked and murdered by her ex-boyfriend, Logan MacPhail, when he refused to accept their relationship was over (Northumbria Police/PA) (PA Media)

“We will particularly, specifically look at this, because we need to make sure that we have got the right ways of recording this kind of violence in teenage relationships,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Ms Cooper added that this is a “really serious issue”.

“I have all sympathy with Holly’s family. I can’t imagine what they will have gone through. This was a truly awful case,” she said.

“Of course, there is domestic abuse in teenage relationships. There is violence within teenage relationships that we have seen increasing, and it really troubles me that we have seen it increasing.”

Downing Street said on Monday that Sir Keir Starmer’s thoughts are with the family and friends of Holly Newton.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister’s thoughts are with the family and friends of Holly Newton and with regards to changes in the law, the Home Secretary has said this is an extremely important issue which the Government will consider.”

Holly’s mother, Micala Trussler, had described what she called “controlling behaviour” by Logan McPhail.

But she said that, because of her daughter’s young age, the legal system did not consider that she had been a victim of domestic abuse.

Logan McPhail was sentenced to be detained for life with a minimum term of 17 years for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Holly Newton (Northumbria Police/PA) (PA Media)

The family were sure that MacPhail, then aged 16, exercised coercive control over Holly, even though they did not live together.

MacPhail was convicted of murder following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in August.

On Friday, he was sentenced to be detained for life with a minimum term of 17 years.

Lynsey Colling, deputy chief crown prosecutor for Crown Prosecution Service North East, said: “It is very clear from the evidence in this case that Logan MacPhail killed Holly Newton after being unable to accept that their relationship was over.”