11 November 2022

Before HM Coroner Louise Hunt
Birmingham Coroner’s Court, Room 3
Steelhouse Ln, Birmingham B4
Opened 31 October 2022

The inquest into the deaths of Khaola Saleem and her daughter Raneem Oudeh continues. The evidence so far revealed horrifying failures by police to follow their own basic policies and guidance when dealing with repeated reports of domestic violence.

This includes failures to identify or investigate criminal offences towards Raneem Oudeh from her husband, who went on to kill them.

Raneem, 22, and her mother Khaola, 49, were killed outside Khaola’s home in Solihull in the West Midlands on 28 August 2018.  Raneem’s former partner Janbaz Tarin was subsequently found guilty of their murder.

The inquest to date has heard evidence of call outs to Raneem’s address on seven separate occasions in the lead up to the murders. Recordings of 999 calls have been played and evidence heard from response officer’s attending the address. 

Despite distressed calls from the victim reporting threats to kill, violence and stalking behaviour from Tarin at no stage was he arrested for any of the crimes, nor was he investigated.  The 999 call two weeks before the murder was from a neighbour who reported screaming, sounds of her being beaten and his own intervention to make Tarin leave the property.

He stated that there were numerous previous incidents from the same address and Raneem had been seen with black eyes and other injuries.

Despite the evidence from this call, the officer attending the scene admitted that he failed to investigate any criminal offence, did not consider applying for a protection order and graded the risk as standard despite the clear risk of serious harm. 

He failed to take note of the details of the call out or to conduct any intelligence checks. Instead, he recommended she apply for a civil non molestation order.

The evidence heard also reveals a failure by officers to implement any adequate safeguarding for Raneem, other than telling her to lock her doors and call the police if Tarin returns.  Evidence from supervising officers in the public protection unit also reveal the lack of supervision in the context of serious under-resourcing.

The inquest, which is set to continue over the next two weeks, is yet to hear evidence relating to the night of the murders. Evidence will also be heard from social workers, probation, the solicitors who obtained a non molestation order, as well as senior police officers from West Midlands Police.

Nour Norris, sister of Khoala and aunt of Raneem said: “It’s like watching a horror movie in slow motion as we head to the inevitable conclusion.”

Selen Cavcav, senior caseworker from Inquest says: “Four years on, this inquest will provide the first opportunity for the family and the public to hear directly from state agencies including West Midlands Police, about their actions. The central issue is why all the systems which are supposed to be in place to protect women from violence fell by the wayside, resulting in the shocking deaths of two women from minoritised communities.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

The family are represented by Sarah Kellas, solicitor, Birnberg Peirce Ltd and Brenda Campbell KC. They are being supported by Centre for Women’s Justice,  Southall Black Sisters, INQUEST and Roshni Birmingham.

ABOUT THE SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS

The Centre for Women’s Justice is a legal charity founded in 2016, which aims to advance the human rights of women and girls in England and Wales by holding the state to account for failures in the prevention of violence against women and girls. Bringing together specialist lawyers, academics and other experts in the field of violence against women with those working on the frontline as activists, survivors and service providers, the Centre aims to secure justice for female victims and survivors of male violence by undertaking strategic litigation, including intervening in appropriate cases. www.centreforwomensjustice.org.uk

Southall Black Sisters is a leading ‘by and for’ black and minority women’s organisation founded in 1979. It provides frontline services and campaigns for the rights of black and minority women and girls facing gender-based violence. It also supports bereaved family and friends. It has an expertise on domestic abuse, forced marriage and honour-based abuse; and has introduced many legal and policy reforms on these and intersecting issues such as immigration, mental health and poverty. It challenges conversative cultural and religious value systems and campaigns for greater state accountability. It aims to empower black and minority women to assert their rights to justice, freedom and equality. www.southallblacksisters.org.uk

INQUEST is the only charity providing expertise on state related deaths and their investigation to bereaved people, lawyers, advice and support agencies, the media and parliamentarians. Our specialist casework includes death in police and prison custody, immigration detention, mental health settings and deaths involving multi-agency failings or where wider issues of state and corporate accountability are in question, such as the deaths and wider issues around Hillsborough and Grenfell Tower. Our policy, parliamentary, campaigning and media work is grounded in the day to day experience of working with bereaved people. Please refer to INQUEST the organisation in all capital letters in order to distinguish it from the legal hearing. www.inquest.org.uk

Roshni Birmingham is a charity which supports Black ad Minoritised communities affected by domestic abuse including Forced Marriage & Honour Based Abuse. Set up in 1979, Roshni Birmingham is a leading provider supporting survivors through their journey to safety, confidence and independence to live free from violence, abuse and fear.  www.roshnibirmingham.org.uk