Government plans a law on teenage relationship abuse after a schoolgirl's murder by her ex-boyfriend was logged as knife crime

Holly Newton, 15, was stabbed 36 times in an alleyway in Hexham in January 2023 by her ex-boyfriend Logan MacPhail after their 18-month relationship broke down — yet police were required to log her murder as knife crime, because domestic abuse victim status under existing law does not cover under-16s. Her mother and stepfather, Micala and Lee Trussler, met Safeguarding Minister Satvir Kaur at the Home Office on Monday to hear government proposals for a dedicated legal definition covering abuse within teenage relationships. MacPhail, who was 16 at the time and had stalked Holly following the break-up, was handed a life sentence with a minimum of 17 years at Newcastle Crown Court in November 2024.

MacPhail was 'filled with resentment and jealousy' after Holly ended things and also stabbed a teenage boy who stepped in to intervene.

Micala Trussler says a dedicated definition is 'actually better' than simply reducing the domestic abuse age threshold, because it recognises that teenage relationships are fundamentally different from adult ones.

The government acknowledged 'totally unacceptable' failings in Holly's case, with Lee Trussler warning that without proper classification young people cannot get help to safely exit dangerous relationships.