Police failed to protect woman from violence

A YORKSHIRE police force has been criticised for its failure to protect a woman who was left blind in one eye and scarred for life after a frenzied knife attack by her estranged husband.

Tunisian national Adel Hdili, of Rotherham, was sentenced to a nine-year jail term followed by deportation for repeatedly stabbing his wife Gail while she waited for a bus.

The incident happened less than three hours after Mrs Hdili called police to tell them her husband, who had been violent to her in the past, had found out where she was staying.

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Hdili had also been in touch with police on the day of the attack, telling an officer he was going to find her.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission, which investigated the case, found yesterday that South Yorkshire Police and Nottinghamshire Police had failed to take "crucial steps" in the lead-up to the stabbing.

Risk assessments were not completed, calls were not handled properly and specially trained officers were not used, the Commission said.

Mrs Hdili contacted Nottinghamshire Police in December 2008 to say she had left her husband and moved to Nottingham because of previous incidents of domestic violence. She later moved into a women's refuge.

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Nottinghamshire Police shared this information with South Yorkshire Police in case her husband reported her and their five-year-old son missing, which he later did.

On January 10 last year, Mr Hdili called South Yorkshire Police and told an officer he had found out where his wife was and he was going to visit her.When the officer asked whether he was allowed to do so, Mr Hdili replied: "There is nothing to say I can't."

Mrs Hdili was at a friend's house that day and her husband found the address after she used it on the eBay auction website.

At 6.10pm, she and her friend called the two police forces, reporting concerns for their safety, and officers arranged to visit the next day.

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But Mr Hdili stabbed his wife in front of their son at a bus stop in the Bulwell area of Nottingham at 9pm.

The IPCC decided the South Yorkshire officer's failings were so serious he should face a misconduct hearing, where he pleaded guilty to misconduct but faced no further action.

A South Yorkshire call handler and an officer and staff member from Nottinghamshire were given words of advice. A Nottinghamshire call handler underwent police performance and policy procedure.

IPCC Commissioner Amerdeep Somal said: "Mrs Hdili has been through a deeply traumatic experience, which has left her scarred for life.

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"It is extremely fortunate this case did not have a more tragic outcome.

"Our investigation has thoroughly examined the actions taken by both forces and found crucial steps were not taken prior to and on the day of the attack."

A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said the IPCC's recommendations had now been implemented.

Watchdog's main findings

n A Nottinghamshire officer who took a statement from Mrs Hdili did not pass it on to the force's specialist domestic abuse support unit.

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n Mrs Hdili's call to South Yorkshire Police in December 2008 was wrongly passed to the safer neighbourhood unit.

n The same call handler failed to check the police database for previous incidents.

n The South Yorkshire officer who spoke to Hdili did not check whether the information he was giving was correct, and did not contact Nottinghamshire Police or Mrs Hdili to warn them.