Barnet Council extends Solace Women’s Aid contract after Met failings exposed

Barnet Council has agreed to extend its contract with Solace Women’s Aid, committing £210,000 per year until March 2030. The charity provides refuge and specialist support for women and children fleeing domestic abuse in the borough. The decision was announced days after the conviction of Simon Levy, a 40-year-old from Tottenham, for the murders of Carmenza Valencia Trujillo and Sheryl Wilkins in 2025.

Met Police released Levy on bail before second murder

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Levy was convicted last week at the Old Bailey for the murders of Valencia Trujillo, 53, and Wilkins, 39, as well as two counts of rape, grievous bodily harm, and intentional strangulation of another woman. The Metropolitan Police released him on bail in March 2025 after the first murder, citing insufficient evidence. He killed Wilkins five months later while still on bail.

Levy had a history of violent offences. In 2021, he sexually assaulted a female prison officer. Between 2023 and 2025, he committed multiple sexual assaults, including rape, on trains across London. He was sentenced to a whole-life order on 12 August 2026.

Charity condemns "deeply disturbing" police failings

Nahar Choudhury, chief executive of Solace Women’s Aid, criticised the Metropolitan Police’s handling of the case. In a statement on 10 August, she described the investigations into Levy as "deeply disturbing" and evidence of "repeated failing". Choudhury said survivors had been "dismissed, disbelieved and failed", leaving women unprotected.

“For far too long, survivors have told us that they have been dismissed, disbelieved and failed by the Met, leaving them, and other women, without the support and protection they need.”

Nahar Choudhury, chief executive, Solace Women’s Aid

Choudhury called for urgent scrutiny of police responses and an end to the "misogynistic culture" that allowed systemic failings to persist. The charity, based in Camden, is London’s largest provider of domestic abuse and sexual violence support. Barnet Council described its refuge service as playing a "critical role" in preventing violence against women and girls in the borough.

Council contract part of VAWG strategy

The contract extension is part of Barnet Council’s violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy for 2025-29. The strategy aims to prevent violence, support victims, and hold perpetrators accountable. Under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, the council is legally required to provide accommodation-based support for domestic abuse survivors.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley described the Levy case as a "whole system failing". He said the force only had sufficient evidence to act after the second murder. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Kevin Southworth acknowledged missed opportunities to prevent Levy’s offences and said improvements had already been made.

Southworth also highlighted concerns about the criminal justice system’s handling of high-risk offenders. He said courts had granted bail to Levy on two occasions despite clear risks. The Met is now working with judicial partners to ensure repeat offenders are automatically remanded to protect the public.

What happens next

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the Metropolitan Police’s handling of the Levy case. Its report is expected to recommend further changes. Barnet Council’s contract with Solace Women’s Aid will run until March 2030, with annual funding of £210,000. The council has not confirmed whether it will review its VAWG strategy in light of the case.