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The prime minister has recalled the murder of a woman stabbed 71 times by her abusive ex-partner as he gave his personal backing to The Independent’s Brick by Brick campaign to build a refuge for women and children fleeing domestic abuse.
In an exclusive interview, Sir Keir Starmer vowed that he and his cabinet would donate to the campaign, which aims to raise £300,000 to build a safe haven for women and their children.
He cited the case of Jane Clough, a nurse killed by her ex-partner after he was let out of prison on bail against the family’s wishes. Sir Keir met her parents while working as the director of public prosecutions (DPP).
“Jane was left living in fear he would hurt her again,” he told The Independent. “Day after day, she took care not to travel to work alone. The one morning she didn’t, he was waiting for her in a hospital car park. He stabbed her 71 times.
“I’ve seen so many families torn apart, and so many lives destroyed, by domestic abuse. That’s why I’m determined that those at risk should have more support, places they can feel safe, and be able to access the services they need to rebuild their lives.
“And it’s why I am so pleased to back The Independent’s Brick By Brick campaign to support victims of domestic abuse. I don’t only support the campaign, but I want the campaign to go on and get bigger.”
Be a brick, buy a brick and donate here or text BRICK to 70560 to donate £15
The Independent has teamed up with domestic abuse charity Refuge and has already raised £130,000 of the £300,000 target, which will create a safe space for women, their children and any pets.
Each £15 donation buys a brick, and work has already started on the foundations, thanks to generous readers.
The prime minister joins a long list of supporters to the campaign including the Queen, former Tory cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt, Cherie Blair, Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Patrick Stewart, Rylan Clark and Andi Oliver.
The campaign was given a lift when Dame Joanna Lumley created its mantra: Be a Brick, Buy a Brick.
Sir Keir has made a pledge to tackle domestic violence, having worked first hand on prosecuting those who committed crimes against women and children. He has long been a supporter of women escaping abusive partners and a vocal critic of violence within the home.
A barrister since 1987, he served as the DPP between 2008 and 2013, a role which saw him prosecute the most serious criminal cases across Great Britain. Jonathan Vass was jailed for life after admitting that he murdered Ms Clough in 2010.
Referring to her parents, Sir Keir said: “When John and Penny got in touch, my office at the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] told me not to see them. They warned me not to get emotionally involved. But how couldn’t I? What was I doing the job for, if I couldn’t look the parents of a murdered woman in the eye? I’m glad I did.
“I sat down with individuals who had been subjected to domestic violence. I listened, and listened hard to what they had been through. It had a profound impact on me. I’ve continued those conversations for 15 years – as a lawyer, as a prosecutor, and as a politician.”
The prime minister said the first-hand experience of hearing from survivors shaped his stance on domestic abuse.
He added: “Very many women and girls didn’t feel that they could come forward to report what had happened to them. About 90 per cent didn’t have the confidence in the system to come forward, and that’s the reason this campaign is so important.
“In order to take that first step, victims of domestic violence have to have somewhere that they can go to get away from what is happening.
“When I was chief prosecutor, as director of public prosecutions, I was in charge of the team prosecuting those that had perpetrated crimes against women and girls in particular.
“I spoke with victims, I spoke with the families of victims, and I heard first hand the impact that domestic violence had on them and vowed then, as a prosecutor, to drive up the number of prosecutions.
“That is why I was really pleased when we came to the general election, that we were able to commit as a new government to halving violence against women and girls.”
Several high-profile figures have opened up about their experiences of domestic abuse, including BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire who described how her father scalded her by throwing hot soup over her school uniform.
Cherie Blair KC told The Independent about her time representing survivors in court. She detailed being pushed down the stairs by a domestic abuser after she represented his vulnerable victim.
Please donate now to the Brick by Brick campaign, launched by The Independent and charity Refuge, to help raise £300,000 to build a safe space for women where they can escape domestic abuse, rebuild their lives and make new futures.
The national domestic abuse helpline offers support for women on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit the Refuge website here. There is a dedicated men’s advice line on 0808 8010 327
