The family of a woman strangled by her convicted murderer ex-boyfriend are calling for a Stephen Lawrence-style public inquiry to examine why domestic violence victims are not being properly protected by the authorities.
Maria Stubbings, 50, was killed by Marc Chivers at her home in Chelmsford, Essex, in December 2008.
Today her relatives said they are suing police because they believe she would still be alive if officers had done their jobs properly, as a damning report said today they failed to protect her.
Chivers had been freed from a German prison less than a year earlier, after serving 15 years for murdering his then girlfriend Sabine Rappold. He was jailed for life in 2009 for Ms Stubbings' murder.
Ms Stubbings was strangled with a dog lead and dumped under coats in the toilet of her house, but police were 'fobbed off' by her killer, who said she was away, even though her car was in the drive.
More... Clutching a pink balloon after a trip to McDonald's and buying sweets, the children 'murdered by their father' hours later Met Police 'gagged' Leveson Inquiry from addressing claims senior officer leaked information to the News of the WorldIt was only the next day when they came back they found her body.
Failed: Maria Stubbings, pictured holding her daughter Celia, was failed by police before she was murdered in 2008, the IPCC said todayMs Stubbings's 15-year-old son Benji had been left in the house with Chivers after his mother died, unaware that he was in grave danger.
Police watchdog the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) this morning published a second highly critical report on the failures by Essex police to protect Ms Stubbings and her son.
Benji Stubbings said: 'It's horrific to discover the extent of the police's failings - and hard to understand how they got it so wrong. The risk to my mum and to me was clear. I didn't have a clue at the time how close to death I was.
'I don't want other women and other children to go through an experience like that. We're all equal - we all deserve help and protection when we're in danger - and they knew the danger.'
Manuel Fernandez, Maria’s brother, said: 'If ever there were a case to be a catalyst for change, it is this one because of the catalogue of failings.
'This man had killed a woman before, he’d already gone to prison for assaulting Maria yet when she called for help, they didn’t provide it.
'They turned off a Panic Alarm at a crucial time when Maria needed it most and at what one point, when police officers were told to find her because of growing concerns, her door was opened by her killer and they gave him a calling card to pass on to her. What kind of protection is that?
'We’re four years on, and yet it’s clear the problems persist. They say lessons have been learned – but then we read about other cases where Essex police and other forces have failed women in Maria’s situation. That’s why we’re calling for a public inquiry. We want justice for Maria and for all women facing domestic violence who are failed by the state.'
Three officers are facing misconduct proceedings over the case, but the IPCC report found that it has implications for the whole force.
Ms Stubbings had made repeated contact with the police about her ex-boyfriend Chivers - in April 2008 about a possible burglary and again in July that year when he assaulted her.
The IPCC found that Essex Police initially responded well, installing a panic alarm in her house and putting high risk warning markers on the address.
However their efforts and those of other agencies then failed - the alarm was removed and no risk assessment was made of Chivers despite the fact he spent four months behind bars because of her assault complaint.
On December 11 that year, he burgled her home, stealing medication on which she was dependent, but a police call handler took down her address incorrectly so the warning markers did not come up and the call was downgraded.
When officers visited the house on December 18, Chivers answered the door to them and said Ms Stubbings was away and that her son was out.
They looked in her bedroom and left - not realising that her body was under coats in the downstairs toilet.
The following day her body was found.
Distraught: Celia Peachey, Maria's daughter says she would have been alive today if police had not bungled, and Essex's chief constable Stephen Kavanagh admitted the force had made mistakesThe family's solicitor, Sarah Ricca from Deighton Pierce Glynn, said: 'The family will now be pursuing the legal remedies available to them, including seeking an inquest and bringing a civil claim.
'Their key concern is to ensure that other lives are saved. Initiative after initiative has been announced by politicians and chief police officers over the years, yet mistakes continue to be made in the way the state responds to domestic violence that cost women their lives.
'Maria's family believe that only a full scale public inquiry - in effect a Stephen Lawrence inquiry for women - can get to the bottom of what's going wrong and bring about the kind of change that is needed.'
Root and branch: Maria Stubbings;s family want a Stephen Lawrence style inquiry for women, as the teenager's own murder lead to huge changes about how the police and CPS investigate crimeThe report found that there was confusion over whether the December burglary should be classed as domestic abuse.
The report said: 'No action was taken to protect Ms Stubbings or her son and vital opportunities to detain Chivers were missed.
'There was a failure to recognise that this apparent "burglary" was potentially an extremely abusive and threatening invasion of Ms Stubbings' home by a high risk perpetrator and the taking of her medication, on which she was dependent, may have been a deliberate, calculated and cruel act.'
It said that the force missed 'a large number of opportunities' to protect her and her son.
'It is ironical Ms Stubbings was offered the most support and protection whilst Chivers was in prison, when the risk from him was minimal. When he was released both she and her son were left completely vulnerable. Ms Stubbings was then murdered by Chivers and her son undoubtedly has endured profound and ongoing trauma as a result of his mother's brutal death,' the report said.
This is the second report that the IPCC has published on the case - the first, released in 2010, was found to contain inaccuracies and the family wanted the scope of the inquiry to be increased.
Ms Stubbings's daughter said: 'My mum was not a statistic - she was a person. She had a right to protection and she was denied that basic human right. I truly believe that she would still be alive today if the police had done their jobs properly.
'I know that the police can't save every woman who's a victim of domestic violence - but there were so many missed chances to save my mum.
'She was crying out for help and was led to believe it was on its way. But it never materialised and she was left isolated and in fear of her life.'
Essex Police said it accepted the findings of the report.
Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh said: 'A combination of factors including missed opportunities and organisational failures led to the brutal murder of Maria Stubbings. As a force we must never lose sight of the impact of her death at the hands of a violent offender and we must respond to the IPCC report in a positive way.
'We fully recognise that this is one of three tragic murders in Essex which has led to an IPCC investigation. We have taken on board the recommendations of those reports, many are already in place and work continues to improve the consistency of our response to domestic abuse.
'There is much being done, both internally, and externally with partners to combat domestic abuse in Essex. It is one of the biggest challenges we face - every day we deal with an average of 80 incidents, each one complex.
'Essex Police rightly dedicate significant resources to tackling this issue and our commitment to meeting this demand and keeping vulnerable people safe is unequivocal.'
