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Mother of murdered Jayden Parkinson, formerly of Folkestone, calls for tougher action on domestic abuse

The mother of a murdered teenager is campaigning for those who commit domestic violence to be put on a register.

Jayden Parkinson, 17, was strangled by her abusive ex-boyfriend who then buried her in his uncle's grave in 2013.

Now, her mother Samantha Shrewsbury - who raised Jayden in Folkestone - wants those with a history of domestic violence to be closely monitored.

Jayden Parkinson was murdered in 2013
Jayden Parkinson was murdered in 2013

She believes a system similar to the sex offenders register could have helped save her then-pregnant daughter from the violent Ben Blakeley.

Blakeley, who is now serving a 20-year jail sentence, had a history of brutality towards previous partners but his activities were not always kept in track.

Six years down the line from the murder, Ms Shrewsbury says the authorities must start doing more.

Speaking to the BBC, she said: "I hear things like lessons have been learnt. They're not being learnt; our children are being murdered, our mothers are. Sisters, daughters, aunts. When is it going to stop?"

"When a register is in place then I'll know my Jayden's life wasn't in vain, because at the moment it feels like it's a kick in the face every time I see another girl murdered."

"She'd be here now, because for all the agencies at the point when Jayden went missing, to them she was a pain-in-the-butt teenager... and if that register had been here, and they'd all looked at it, they'd have seen how vulnerable she was."

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