Norfolk murder review: 'Employers must improve domestic violence help'

Cristina Magda-Calancea died in hospital the day after the stabbing

A report into the murder of a woman by her jealous ex-boyfriend has urged employers to offer better support to domestic abuse victims.

Gediminas Jasinskas, 30, murdered Cristina Magda-Calancea, 26, in a "brutal" knife attack in 2018.

The pair had worked together at the same factory in King's Lynn, Norfolk.

A Domestic Homicide Review panel said it was "disappointing" her employment agency had provided little information to staff about domestic abuse.

It said some employers still did not understand the benefit of investing in domestic abuse awareness, but they should realise the integral role they played for victims among their workforce.

Gediminas Jasinskas told police he had "lost control" when he lay in-wait for his ex-girlfriend, killing her savagely

"More work needed to be done with employers to help them understand that they will have staff who are affected by domestic abuse," it said.

"This is likely to impact upon their absenteeism or productivity. Thus there is a financial imperative as well as a human imperative in so investing."

Earlier this month, the government told firms they had "a duty" to support staff suffering domestic abuse, but warned few employers had proper measures in place.

The panel's review recommended Norfolk Community Safety Partnership work with the county's Police and Crime Commissioner's office to promote its domestic abuse toolkit for employers, and particularly employment agencies.

It also said authorities in Norfolk should make clear to employers how the stalking and harrassment of victims risked leading on to serious violence, particularly after relationship breakdowns.

It found Ms Magda-Calancea had been urged by friends to go to the police over harassment by Jasinskas after she ended their 12-month relationship.

The report said Jasinskas, who was jailed for life in 2019, had demonstrated behaviours that were clearly abusive towards his victim, but the escalation of violence was unexpected and could not have been predicted.

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