Annette Bramley says Holly’s Law would stop perpetrators acquiring pets and raise awareness of domestic abuse link
"“I didn’t think he would stop at animals. I knew the connection between animal abuse and domestic abuse,” she said. “When the police came to the door, we knew nothing else could possibly have happened to her. We didn’t suspect a car accident or anything like that; we just said: ‘What has he done to her?’”
Holly, 26, was killed by Metson in March 2023 in what prosecutors described as a “twisted and barbaric” attack, cutting Holly’s body into more than 200 pieces, which were later discovered by a member of the public.
Bramley is now campaigning for Holly’s Law in her daughter’s memory, to stop prolific animal abusers from being able to acquire more pets, and to raise awareness of the link between animal and domestic abuse.
She wants to see an animal abuse register and a scheme to allow police to disclose information on animal abuse and neglect to prevent perpetrators acquiring more pets.
Studies have shown a strong link between pet abuse and domestic abuse, including perpetrators using animals as a coercive control strategy, while analysis by the UK’s national wildlife crime unit found a link to domestic violence and abuse for 27% of all wildlife crime offenders."
