IN June 2012, Estyna Blunnie, a twenty-year-old pregnant lady in Harlow was brutally kicked to death by her ex-fiancé, Tony McLernon, just two days before her due date. Estyna sadly lost her life and doctors were unable to save her baby.

Despite McLernon’s death threats prior to the attack, he was not charged, and police assessed Eystna as being at “medium-risk” of domestic abuse.

On Thursday, Robert Halfon asked an oral question in the House of Commons to Robert Buckland, the Solicitor General, to explain changes in the way that in the way they make decisions and charges in cases of domestic violence to ensure that this does not happen to others. Robert also asked what specialist training is given to solicitors to deal with cases of domestic violence.

Mr Buckland paid tribute to Estnya’s family before telling Mr Halfon that steps have indeed been taken in light of this case. The Solicitor General noted the existence of the Victims’ Right to Review Policy; the use of local scrutiny and inclusions panels to consider violence against women and girls cases; and the new offence of coercive control, which can capture cumulative abusive behaviour by one partner against another.

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2018-11-01/debates/1BDBE1DD-26E0-4FD1-845B-ACA54D47A33E/DomesticAbuseVictims