Parents of women killed by ex-boyfriends get honours.

Two women whose daughters were murdered by their former partners have said “grieving mothers should not be messed with” after receiving an honor for their campaign to strengthen domestic violence laws.

Carol Gould and Julie Davy co-founded the group Killed Women after their daughters – Ellie Gould, 17, and Poppy Davy Waterhouse, 24 – were killed in their homes by men with whom they had ended relationships .

Another campaigner, Nick Gazzard, whose 20-year-old daughter Holly was murdered by her abusive ex-boyfriend in 2014, was also recognized for his work around domestic violence and stalking. He said his daughter would be “looking at us with a big smile”.

He was appointed OBE in the New Year Honors list.

The three were among those included in the list for their work to protect women and girls.

Ms Gould and Ms Davey said it would help them “continue to shine a light” on their campaign and put domestic violence in the “spotlight”.

They have jointly called for the initial tariff for domestic murders to be increased from 15 years to 25 years. In March 2021, Ms Gold successfully fought to change the law on sentencing of teenage murderers – This was called Eli’s Law – so that he could be given a longer sentence.

Ellie Gould was stabbed to death by Thomas Griffiths at her home in Calne, Wiltshire in 2019 after she ended their relationship.

Because he was 17 at the time, Griffith received a more lenient sentence than an adult defendant. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 years and six months.

Poppy was murdered by Joe Atkinson in Leeds in 2018 after the end of their three-year relationship. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 15 years and 310 days.

A joint statement from Ms Davy and Ms Gould said: “Getting here has been really difficult and emotionally draining and, of course, our beloved daughters will never be brought back, but as As we learn more about the injustice, and as more families contact us, we are excited to continue our work. A bereaved mother should not be messed with.”

Nick Gazzard’s daughter Holly was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend in the Gloucester salon where she worked, shortly after ending the relationship. Later that year he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Mr Gazzard, 60, has campaigned for victims of domestic abuse and stalking in the years since his death.

Commenting on her inclusion in the honors list, she said: “We didn’t want her to become another statistic and our aim was to use her story to help others avoid what she went through .

“I’m sure she’s looking at us with a big smile, and proud of what is being achieved in her name.”

Others on the list include:

• Nicole Alison Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales since 2019, has been appointed OBE
• Wendy Ansell, of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, has been appointed OBE for services to survivors of harmful practices and women seeking asylum.
• Hawa Daboh Sesay, executive director of the Hawa Trust Foundation, has been appointed a CBE for her work with victims of female genital mutilation and other forms of abuse.