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Charity Chief Executive receives honorary award

Chief Executive of Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA), Frank Mullane, has received an honorary award from the University of Gloucestershire today.

Every year the university presents awards to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution in the county and beyond.
Mr Mullane is receiving an Honorary Fellowship for his outstanding work on domestic violence and homicide, and his contribution to the university. He delivers lecturers, and helps to assess Masters level criminology students, and works with research students.

He has also been involved with the university’s partnership work with external agencies, including Gloucestershire Police. Mr Mullane received his award along with hundreds of graduating students at today’s ceremony at The Centaur, Cheltenham.
Mr Mullane’s sister Julia and nephew William Pemberton were murdered in 2003. Following this, he gave up his profession and founded the charity.

Presenting his award, Dr Caroline Mills, head of the School of Natural and Social Sciences, said: “We are proud that Mr Mullane contributes to research and our courses at this university.  By making this award, the university marks the impact of his work as a tireless advocate for victims’ rights, his quiet and persistent lobbying to ensure that lessons are learned, and his contributions to research, which together have helped improve the way we respond to some of the most serious crimes in our society.”

Mr Mullane also gives support to families who have been bereaved by homicide to negotiate the criminal justice and coronial processes. He is regularly called upon to speak in the media and has addressed All Party Parliamentary Groups and policing groups at a local and national level.

On receiving his award, Mr Mullane said: “Thank you for this recognition. After my sister and her son were murdered in 2003 by the husband and father, I was thrust into a new understanding of the same world. I was struck by the prevalence of abuse and its gendered nature. I started work to find out why domestic homicides happened and how they could be prevented. I have assessed around 500 domestic homicide reviews and meeting Dr Jane Monckton-Smith took my understanding to a new level. I am grateful for the chance to further develop my understanding in collaboration with the University of Gloucestershire.”