// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Law change for schoolgirl murdered by ex-boyfriend
Holly Newton was 15 when she was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend Logan MacPhail
The family of a murdered schoolgirl says the government has told them it plans to create a new law defining teenage abusive relationships – because of their campaigning.
Micala and Lee Trussler met the Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls minister Satvir Kaur at the Home Office in London on Monday, where they were given an outline of the plans.
Their daughter, Holly Newton, was 15 when she was stabbed to death in an alleyway in Hexham in January 2023.
She was killed by her ex-boyfriend Logan MacPhail, who was 16 at the time and could not accept the relationship was over. He had been controlling and stalked Holly in the run up to her death.
Police recorded her murder as knife crime because the law does not recognise those under 16 as victims of domestic violence.
This is something her mum and stepdad, Micala and Lee Trussler, have been campaigning to change.
Her parents Micala and Lee Trussler have spent years campaigning for the law to recognise under 16s as victims of domestic violence
Lee said: "Without that classification they can't receive the help and guidance that they need to safely exit that relationship."
But Micala and Lee agree that a standalone definition for abuse in teenage relationships would be as effective as lowering the age someone can be classed as a victim of domestic abuse.