Domestic Violence Survivor Fears Attacker After Prison Release Without Tracking Tag

A 38-year-old domestic violence survivor in England says she is living in fear after her former partner was released from prison without an electronic monitoring tag, despite assurances that a GPS device would be fitted to track his movements. Michelle, whose surname has not been published, has moved into a static caravan with her four children and says relatives are sleeping at the property because she fears another attack. Her case has renewed questions about delays in fitting electronic tags to offenders released from prisons in England and Wales.

Michelle is among hundreds of survivors seeking answers about why some offenders required to wear electronic monitoring devices leave prison before the equipment is fitted. A report by the chief inspectors of probation and prisons found that nearly half of offenders were not tagged promptly after release, while in one in 10 cases installation took as long as five months.

Michelle told the Guardian that her former partner had previously breached probation conditions and been returned to prison. She said police and probation services were aware of the risk but that she remained without the monitoring protection she had been promised.

Her former partner, the father of her three-year-old son, was first accused of assaulting her in early 2024. Michelle said he punched her in the face, prompting her to contact police. He was arrested and released on bail.

According to her account, he returned to her home the following day, kicked in the front door and threatened her with a knife. She said her 16-year-old son intervened to pull him away after he had held her down by her hair.

The man was subsequently convicted of two counts of assault by beating and one count of affray. In November 2024, he received a 38-month prison sentence. Upon his release in February 2025, he was subject to conditions requiring him to stay away from Michelle's home and the town where she lived.

Michelle said her former partner breached the conditions of his probation in July 2025 and again in April and August 2026. She reported two of the alleged breaches, which resulted in him being recalled to prison for 56 days on each occasion.

He was released again on 15 October 2026. Michelle said her police liaison officer had reassured her that a GPS tag would be fitted to monitor his movements. However, she said no device had been installed by the time of the Guardian's report.

The absence of the tag has left Michelle concerned about the safety of her children, particularly her youngest son. She said the family had been forced to change its living arrangements after leaving their previous five-bedroom rented home and moving into a caravan following council advice.

She also described limiting her children's activities outside the home because of fears that her former partner could return.

The concerns in Michelle's case come amid wider scrutiny of electronic monitoring arrangements. A report published by the chief inspectors of probation and prisons found significant delays in fitting tags to offenders after release.

The report also raised questions about how the contractor's performance was assessed. Serco, the private-sector company responsible for fitting electronic monitoring devices, was considered to have met its targets by attempting installations rather than ensuring that devices had actually been fitted and were working.

One reason identified for failed installations was that offenders were not present at the addresses agreed for fitting appointments. This accounted for around a third of the 5,000 offenders in the community without tags, according to the report.

The findings have prompted calls for changes to the process, particularly where electronic monitoring is intended to protect victims and enforce restrictions on offenders' movements.

Vikki Slade, Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, raised Michelle's case in Parliament on Monday, questioning why offenders were being released without tags when survivors and their children could face continuing risks.

The Prison Officers' Association (POA) has also called for prison staff to be trained to fit and activate electronic tags before offenders leave custody.

In a letter to Justice Secretary Alex Norris, POA national chair Mark Fairhurst argued that prison officers could help address the delays by carrying out the work before release. He called for a formal assessment of bringing more of the process under public-sector control.

The Ministry of Justice said the government had inherited a justice system facing serious pressures after years of underinvestment. It said it was expanding electronic monitoring and increasing the number of offenders tagged before leaving prison.

A Serco spokesperson said the company attempted to fit a monitoring device to every person required to wear one. Where installation was not possible, or an individual breached release conditions, the company said it reported the matter to the relevant authorities, which were responsible for deciding what further action should be taken.

Michelle's case highlights the gap that can arise between an offender being ordered to wear an electronic tag and the device actually being fitted. For survivors who have experienced violence and repeated breaches of protective conditions, delays can have serious consequences for their sense of safety.