Intractable High-Risk (MARAC) Cases: A Way Forward
By Fiona Sheil, Dr Becky Rogerson, and Lesley Storey
This paper revisits a groundbreaking pilot by My Sister’s Place in Middlesbrough, first run in 2013, that successfully supported women and children trapped in the most dangerous and “intractable” high-risk domestic abuse cases with perpetrators who had over 500 criminal convictions between them.
The study evidences how a trauma-informed, strengths-based model — focused on survivor engagement and perpetrator disruption — achieved safety for 75% of women who had previously been unable to engage with services. Ninety percent of perpetrators were brought to justice, and 47 children were prevented from being taken into care.
Cost-benefit analysis indicates potential savings of £110,000 per case across children’s social care, police services, and MARAC. Scaled nationally this could deliver savings of £646 million–£2 billion nationally to children’s social care, police and MARAC, transforming outcomes for around 17,000 women and 29,000 children.
The paper argues for renewed piloting and investment in trauma-informed, intelligence-led approaches to replace risk-based systems that are currently failing the most at-risk survivors.
Published November 2025 by My Sister’s Place and RIVA, Middlesbrough and London.
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