The IPCC have criticised Notts Police's failure to prevent the brutal murder of Casey Brittle by her former partner, Sanchez Williams, last year. The murder was the final of 11 incidents of domestic violence which the police were notified of and failed to do anything about. The force was reprimanded for its failings in this area by the IPCC in Nov 2010, after it failed to prevent Gail Hdili's abusive husband tracking her down and blinding her. Obviously very little has changed.

An IPCC spokesperson said "In this case it is clear that a number of officers failed to perform to the level expected of them and basic actions, that may have helped others see the full picture of her suffering, were not completed. No consideration was given to why Casey was reporting domestic abuse but then subsequently saying that she did not want police help." In other words, officers had not received even basic training appropriate to dealing with domestic violence.

As a consequence of the investigation, six officers face misconduct for their roles in three incidents, while a further four officers "have been dealt with through unsatisfactory performance procedures." In other words, a lot of individuals failed to prevent a woman being murdered and they are going to get a slapped wrist. No wonder nothing seriously changes.

The Nottingham Post reports that there were "A number of failures by officers in individual incidents, including a lack of understanding of the force's domestic abuse policy, and risk assessment forms not being sent to the domestic abuse unit."

Over two women per week are killed by current or ex-partners, and one in four women in the UK will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Those women are being failed by an incompetent and inadequate response by the authorities.