‘Restriction zones’ to be introduced for domestic abusers | UK News

The government is seeking to introduce “restriction zones” to limit where convicted domestic abusers can go.

Exclusion zones currently exist to stop perpetrators from going within a certain distance of where their victims live.

The new plans would place greater limits where abusers can go, with the aim of allowing survivors to go about their daily lives without fear of seeing their former abuser.

Sexual and violent offenders could be restricted to certain locations and tracked with technology under the new proposals. They would then face jail time for breaching the conditions.

Probation officers will carry out detailed risk assessments and work with survivors to decide on banned locations for perpetrators.

Survivor Leanne said from her experience, she would have asked for restriction zones at the school where she took her two children, her local supermarket or near her family’s homes.

“These are places where I was confronted, even when he had restraining orders,” the 54-year-old said.

While Leanne said she is “loving what I’m hearing” about the government’s approach, she added: “Would I put a lot of faith in it? Probably not, because I don’t like being let down, and I’ve been let down by previous governments.

“So we can only have hope.”

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Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones will announce the new measure at charity Advance in London on Friday.

The victims minister will say abusers will be GPS monitored to provide real-time data about where they are going, and subject to “virtual boundaries”.

The government is overhauling the prison system to curb overcrowding, which could see violent and sexual offenders released from jail earlier, and for more criminals to serve sentences in the community.

Tens of thousands of offenders would be tagged, prompting concerns from the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales over the Probation Service’s ability to cope with rising numbers.

The government has announced £700m of funding until 2028/29 for the Probation Service to back up its reforms. It will also recruit 1,300 new probation officers by March 2026.