When Dehenna Davison was first elected as an MP in 2019, she vowed to champion policies which reduced violence after her father was killed by a single punch when she was aged13.

Today marks 14 years to the day since Dominic Davison was killed and writing exclusively in The Northern Echo his daughter vows to push for major changes in the law...

"TODAY marks fourteen years to the day since my dad was killed aged just 35.

"He died because of a single punch, which hit him at exactly the wrong spot, causing an artery to burst, and him to die almost instantly.

"What followed was a whirlwind time for my family.

"Alongside trying to process the grief and shock of losing dad so suddenly, there was also the pressure and uncertainty of the court case, which took ten months to complete, and ultimately left us with a burning sense of injustice.

The Northern Echo: Dehenna Davison as a child with her father

"I have been surprised, since then, by just how many people have been impacted by one punch assaults, either directly or indirectly.

"The One Punch Can Kill UK website has a list of those who lost their lives, and that is only scratching the surface.

 

"For every life lost, a grieving family and circle of friends is left behind, finding it difficult to process how “something like this could happen to us”.

"And, having spoken in depth to local charity, One Punch North East, about the families they are supporting, the burning sense of injustice is not something that only my family felt.

"There is a sense that sentencing is too lenient.

"When I was still a teenager, I knew I wanted to do something in life to ensure those who have to go through this feel that justice is done.

"Now that I am lucky enough to have been elected, I am fortunate that I have a platform for making big changes.

"And that is what I hope to do.

"So today, in honour of my dad, I am launching the All Party Parliamentary Group for One Punch Assaults (APPG).

"The key role of the APPG will be to carry out a formal inquiry into sentencing around one punch assaults.

"It is my intention to speak to the victims of assaults and their families, perpetrators, lawyers of both sides, judges, police officers, and other stakeholders to pull together an objective, evidence-based report and series of proposals for how the sentencing system could be changed to provide a fairer sense of justice.

"I have already had an early discussion with the Minister at the Department for Justice to chat about the APPG and its objectives, and I look forward to working with him more as the inquiry progresses.

"Once we have our set of proposals, I intend to approach the Government and do all I can to get the system changed for the sake of victims and their families and loved ones.

"But we will also be looking at how we can better educate people about the true impact of violence.

"The inaugural meeting will be taking place on Tuesday 23rd February, and I am delighted that One Punch North East will be attending and supporting the work of the APPG.

"If you or anyone you know has been impacted by a one punch assault and wants to contribute towards our inquiry, please contact me on Dehenna.davison.mp@parliament.uk

"Dad, this one’s for you."