More needs to be done to keep women like Hollie Kerrell, from Knighton, safe from domestic abuse, according to a Mid and West Wales AM.

Joyce Watson has called for an end to the “cycle of violence” after speaking about unrecorded crimes in the Dyfed-Powys Police force area, during a debate in the National Assembly.

Hollie Kerrell, 28, who lived at Knucklas, was murdered by her “jealous” husband, Christopher Llewellyn Kerrell, 35, who attacked her with a hammer in April, 2018.

Christopher Kerrell was jailed in October last year after admitting the offence on what should have been the first day of his trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.

He was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal attack and was told he will serve a minimum of 25 years in jail.

Speaking at the hearing, prosecutor Peter Lewis QC, said Mr Kerrell had given no reason for murdering his estranged wife in the six months since her death, but added: “The only explanation can be his jealousy and possessiveness.”

Now Labour AM, Ms Watson has called for everyone to do more to help protect victims of domestic abuse in Wales.

After raising issues about crime in Mid and South West Wales, during a debate about human rights, she said she was “shocked” to find that 66 out of 283 domestic abuse cases in the Dyfed-Powys Police force area had not been recorded properly. Ms Watson said that this often meant victims were unable to access support which they might otherwise receive.

Mid and West Wales AM Joyce Watson.

Ms Watson added: “In April, Hollie Kerrell, a mum-of-three from Knighton, was murdered by her husband. Every week in England and Wales, two women are killed by a man they know. Thousands more – one in four – will experience violence at the hands of a partner.

“We need systems in place and good men to come forward to end the cycle of violence. For Hollie it is too late. For her sake let’s pledge to live up to the White Ribbon promise to ‘never commit, condone or remain silent about abuse’.”

The White Ribbon pledge also asks those who take it to do one or more of the following:

  • talk to a younger man in their life about consent
  • share feminist calls to action and news on social media
  • support women’s organisations and shelters that provide services to survivors of violence
  • ask their peers to not use sexist or violent language when referring to women
  • create safe and supportive spaces for the women in their life by practicing active listening
  • encourage and support gender equality initiatives at work
  • talk to men in their life about why gender equality is important and how they can play an active role
  • make their own plan of action

The pledge can be found at: www.whiteribbon.org.uk. Men can also support the campaign’s aims by wearing a white ribbon.