Ex-partner's open prison transfer is 'devastating'

A woman who was stabbed 24 times by her partner while she was eight months pregnant has said she is "absolutely devastated" that he will be transferred to open prison earlier than expected.

Natalie Queiroz and her unborn daughter nearly died in the attack in Sutton Coldfield in 2016.

She has since worked within the prison system, and discovered this year that changes mean offenders can now apply to transfer to Category D or open prison significantly earlier than previously allowed.

Babur Raja is now due to be transferred to more lenient conditions, including day release, nine years into his 18-year sentence for attempted murder and attempted child destruction.

Ms Queiroz was told the application had been approved last month.

She said after reading the confirmation in an email she "felt totally deflated" and "so scared".

She added: "It felt really unjust after just nine years. It just doesn't feel like justice, not after what he did to me and what he did to our baby."

Raja's sentence allows for potential parole in 2028 at 12 years. If that is not granted, the earliest point he previously would have been eligible for a move to open prison was at the 13-year mark - five years before his conditional release in 2034.

But in 2024, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) removed a stipulation for offenders to be no more than five years away from that conditional release date to be eligible, with applications for open prison possible three years before a potential parole date.

In Ms Queiroz's case, that means her perpetrator will be allowed into open prison and out in public, even if only on day release, four years earlier than she had originally expected.

Ms Queiroz is now campaigning for the government to consider exempting domestic abuse and violence offenders from an earlier transfer to open prison, with a limit of a maximum of 12 months in less secure conditions before possible parole.

She also believes pressure on secure prison spaces could be driving decisions.

The MoJ said open prison was a crucial component of getting offenders ready for release, and domestic abuse offenders have the same right to rehabilitation as other prisoners.

But Ms Queiroz maintained that there should be different criteria, similar to that in place under the government's early full release scheme.

"Every year counts when you're a victim," she said, "because it's another year when you can feel safe, when you know they're in a certain location, and that got turned upside down."

Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, the chair of the UK's largest domestic abuse support charity, Refuge, told the BBC that Ms Queiroz's case raised questions for the government.

"It's really troublesome because they [the victims] believe that they have a certain number of years where they can get on with their life.

"That's really important from a recovery point of view, and to then suddenly be thrown very quickly into the position where, no, it's going to happen now, years before you thought it was going to happen, it's massively traumatising.

"Layered on top of that is real disquiet and uncertainty about the level of education about domestic abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour, and stalking, within the prison system with regards to those decisions.

"Those things make us very nervous about these kind of decisions and when they're made."

The MoJ said: "This was a horrific crime, and our thoughts remain with the victim.

"The small number of offenders eligible for moves to open prison face a strict, thorough risk assessment and anyone found breaching the rules can be immediately returned to a closed prison."

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