Mollie Cousins, a mother of two from Lancashire, says she lives in constant fear that her former partner, Daniel Bowler, will seek revenge when he is released early from prison. Bowler, who strangled her while she held their newborn daughter, is among thousands of inmates due to be freed in stages to ease overcrowding. Cousins has waived her right to anonymity to speak out, accusing the government of overlooking victims’ safety in its rush to reduce prison numbers.
A Night of Terror
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When Mollie Cousins first met Daniel Bowler on Facebook, she never imagined the relationship would descend into a year‑long campaign of terror. Bowler began by monitoring her phone, then moved on to isolating her from friends and family. After discovering a private video on her device, he circulated it to her relatives as a form of humiliation. The violence escalated when, during an argument, she threatened to call the police; Bowler responded by smashing her phone and standing on her laptop. The most harrowing moment came when he strangled her on the sofa while she cradled their newborn baby. After releasing his grip, he tore off her clothes and shoved a finger down her throat in a further act of degradation.
The Early Release Scheme
On Thursday morning, the first wave of prisoners walked free under a government programme designed to cut the prison population by releasing 4,500 inmates in stages. Treasury secretary James Murray told reporters he “can’t guarantee exactly what will happen” when questioned about the safety of domestic abuse survivors. He noted that those released would be electronically tagged and subject to exclusion zones, but acknowledged the system’s limits. Probation unions have warned that staff are already “firefighting day in, day out”, with a 26 % staffing shortfall leaving officers anxious about managing a sudden influx of cases.
Victims’ Voices
Mollie Cousins described the anxiety that has taken hold since learning Bowler would be eligible for early release. “I’m scared he’s going to come back for me. He’s going to try and get revenge on me for getting him sent to prison,” she told The Independent. She has moved house, altered her appearance, changed her car and transferred her eldest child to a new school in an attempt to protect her family. A petition she launched, now signed by more than 1,000 people, calls for an end to the early release of domestic abusers. Other survivors echoed her concerns. Sophie, whose name has been changed for safety, said the original prison term had given her “a small window of time where I could finally breathe”, adding that bringing the release date forward “takes that window away from me far sooner than I was prepared for”.
System Under Strain
Domestic abuse commissioner Dame Nicole Jacobs warned that survivors across the country will be “looking over their shoulder and living in fear because the government and our criminal justice system has failed to protect them”. Refuge’s public affairs lead, Alice Russell‑Harris, pointed out that licence conditions are frequently breached and that an under‑resourced probation service may not react quickly enough to prevent further harm. Tania Bassett, national officer at Napo, revealed that one officer faced the prospect of supervising fourteen newly released individuals in a single day, describing the fear of a serious further offence as something that “hangs over” probation workers. The union has passed an emergency motion of no confidence in HMPPS and is balloting members on possible strike action in October.
Why it Matters
The early release of thousands of prisoners to alleviate overcrowding risks turning a procedural fix into a direct threat to those who have already suffered the most. When victims like Mollie Cousins are forced to uproot their lives, live in fear of retaliation and navigate a system that appears to prioritise prison numbers over their safety, the very purpose of justice is undermined. Ensuring that protective measures keep pace with release policies is not merely a logistical concern; it is a fundamental requirement for maintaining public trust and safeguarding the most vulnerable members of society.
