More Deaths from Licensed Guns
by GCN on 15-07-2016
GUN CONTROL NETWORK
PRESS RELEASE – 17 JULY 2016
MORE DEATHS FROM LICENSED GUNS
Stephen Muncaster was a firearms licence holder who earlier this week in Norfolk apparently murdered his wife and then committed suicide with his legally held gun. His case is one of a long line of such tragedies – most of which could probably have been prevented.
Around 80% women killed with guns are victims of people they know using legally held firearms. GCN believes that many of these deaths could be prevented if people could register their concerns about the behaviour of gun owners via a Gun Hotline.
We are contacted regularly by women living in households with guns who are anxious about a spouse or partner who may be depressed or acting erratically or abusing drugs or alcohol. A well known and publicised hotline could alert police to the risk of violence and ensure that they took action to remove the guns.
For some months Crimestoppers have been developing such a Gun Hotline in conjunction with the police but the project has been delayed owing to high level political pressure from the shooting lobby. We hope this tragic case will highlight again the need for a hotline and encourage the new Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, to introduce it as a priority.
Gill Marshall-Andrews Chair of the Gun Control Network says:
“This is another tragic case of misuse of a legally held gun. We know that people who shoot and kill women almost always do so with legally held guns, so we need to do something about it.
First we must recognise the problem and ensure that the police are more willing to refuse or revoke licences where gun owners become known for domestic violence, drug or alcohol abuse or criminal behaviour.
Second we must provide a hotline which anyone can call if they are worried about the behaviour of a gun owner. Gun licences are only issued every 5 years and people can change in that time. They can become depressed, or start drinking too much or taking drugs. We must provide police with the necessary information to enable them to do their job and remove the guns from unsuitable people”.
Contacts:
Gill Marshall-Andrews: 07956 132297; 020 8940 0911;
Chrissie Hall: 07719 696279
Gun Control Network email: gcn-uk@btconnect.com