Family of UK woman murdered by violent offender says services failed her

Exclusive: Sobhia Khan’s husband was being monitored in hospital over violent and sexual offences against a former partner

The family of a woman who was murdered by a convicted violent offender when he was supposed to be under supervision have said she would still be alive had the police, social services and mental healthcare providers not failed her.

Sobhia Khan, 37 at the time of her death in May 2017, was subjected to “domestic violence on a savage scale” before being beaten to death by her newlywed husband, Ataul Mustafa. He was being monitored in the community as a restricted patient after earlier being sentenced to a hospital order for violent and sexual offences against a former partner.

In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org