What Is GPS Tagging in Domestic Violence Prevention?
Domestic violence remains one of the gravest public safety and public health challenges in the United Kingdom. Behind every statistic is a preventable tragedy, a woman who should still be alive, a family that should never have been torn apart. In England and Wales, one in four women will experience domestic abuse during their lifetime, and on average, two women are killed every week by a current or former partner (ONS, 2023).
For readers looking for a deeper, more academic dive into the topic, I’ve published a comprehensive Scholarly Information (SI) version of this article on Zenodo. You can view it here to access the full analysis, extensive references, and structured argumentation: Read the full academic version on Zenodo (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17018500)
Despite reforms like the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and the introduction of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs), our system continues to fail thousands of women. Protective orders are too often breached, police responses remain inconsistent, and survivors are frequently left exposed, especially after separation, the period of highest risk.
But globally, a quiet revolution in safety is happening. Countries like Spain, Portugal, France, Australia, and Switzerland have implemented GPS tagging and proximity notification systems that transform how we safeguard women. These aren’t abstract ideas; they’re proven, evidence-led solutions. And they save lives.
The UK’s Persistent Enforcement Gap
Here in the UK, the gap between protection on paper and protection in practice is enormous. DAPOs allow courts to impose conditions like electronic monitoring, but in reality, enforcement remains patchy and underfunded.
The numbers are stark: in 2015, courts issued 23,057 restraining orders, yet 8,395 were breached. Only 36% of those breaches led to immediate custody, leaving thousands of offenders free to reoffend (MoJ, 2016). In 2023 alone, police recorded 1.4 million domestic abuse-related incidents, but fewer than one in six resulted in charges (ONS, 2023).
Paper-based protections, slow police response times, and inconsistent local policies mean that survivors often remain at risk even when the law is supposedly “on their side.” That’s unacceptable and it’s exactly where technology can make a profound difference.
How GPS Tagging and Proximity Notification Systems Work
Imagine if, instead of simply trusting a piece of paper to keep you safe, there was a system that could actively monitor high-risk offenders, send alerts the moment they breached restrictions, and ensure immediate police response. That’s exactly what GPS tagging and proximity notification systems are designed to do.
Here’s how they work: an offender wears a GPS-enabled ankle tag linked to a secure monitoring system. Survivors may choose to carry a connected alert device, although this is optional. Exclusion zones are defined around key locations such as homes, workplaces, schools, and safe spaces.
If the offender enters a restricted area, the system triggers real-time alerts, notifying both the survivor (if they choose) and the monitoring centre. Police are dispatched immediately, giving survivors and officers crucial minutes to act before harm occurs.
The benefits are significant:
- Offenders know breaches will be detected, which deters reoffending (NAO, 2019).
- Survivors can regain mobility and independence without feeling trapped.
- Police receive actionable, evidence-backed alerts instead of relying on delayed 999 calls.
- GPS logs enable “victimless prosecutions” when survivors are too afraid to testify.
- Costs are lower: GPS monitoring is up to six times cheaper than imprisonment.
But technology on its own isn’t enough. For these systems to succeed, GPS monitoring must be embedded in a coordinated safeguarding framework where monitoring centres, police, courts, and support services work seamlessly together.
Lessons From Spain’s COMETA Programme
Spain leads the world with its COMETA programme (“Control of Offenders via Telematic Means”), introduced in 2009. It combines offender GPS tagging, victim-linked alert devices, 24/7 monitoring centres, and integration with VIOGEN, Spain’s national domestic violence risk-assessment system.
The results are extraordinary:
- Zero feminicides among women under active COMETA protection (Arenas, 2019).
- Police intervention times as fast as five to seven minutes.
- Over 80% of survivors report feeling safer, regaining their independence and maintaining normal routines.
COMETA works because Spain invested not just in technology, but in infrastructure, staffing, and police response. It is proof that, with the right systems in place, women can be protected, and lives can be saved.
Portugal: Regional Expertise, National Impact
Portugal’s GPS monitoring model, launched in 2009, uses a “reverse-tagging” system where the offender’s tag is continuously tracked against survivor-centred exclusion zones. Regional probation units run 24/7 monitoring centres staffed by analysts who understand local geography and can trigger immediate police response.
With 97% successful completions and only 3% revocations (DGRSP, 2020), Portugal’s approach proves that combining national standards with local expertise produces results. This model has been formally endorsed by the Council of Europe’s GREVIO report (2025), which praised Portugal’s integration of technology, victim support, and early intervention measures.
France, Switzerland, and Australia: More Proof It Works
France introduced its bracelet anti-rapprochement in 2021, pairing offender tags with survivor-linked devices. Initially slowed by requiring mutual consent, an approach quickly abandoned, France’s Ministry of Justice found that success depends on trained rapid-response teams who act on alerts within minutes (Reuters, 2021).
Switzerland, meanwhile, legislated GPS monitoring in 2021, embedding it directly within police response systems. Early evaluations show high compliance rates and strong judicial support (Swissinfo, 2022).
Australia has taken the boldest step: in New South Wales, offenders released on conditional bail are GPS-monitored before conviction, with exclusion zones automatically enforced. Several states also provide survivors with duress alarms linked to monitoring centres, creating bilateral safety mechanisms (NSW Government, 2024).
The message is consistent across these countries: when GPS tagging is properly funded, staffed, and integrated, it works.
Why the UK Cannot Afford to Wait
Queensland’s 2019 controlled GPS trial showed what happens when systems aren’t properly resourced. While over half of simulated scenarios worked flawlessly, 26% failed entirely, and proximity devices for survivors succeeded just 35–38% of the time (QPS, 2019).
The lesson is clear: success depends on building robust infrastructure, investing in 24/7 monitoring centres, and ensuring police response protocols are drilled long before national rollout.
The UK cannot afford another patchwork pilot. We need a fully funded, nationally coordinated GPS programme, one that integrates offender monitoring, survivor protection, multi-agency safeguarding, and rapid-response policing.
The Bottom Line
Every avoidable breach. Every preventable death. Every woman failed by a system that promised protection but delivered nothing. These aren’t numbers; they are names, faces, families, and futures.
The evidence is overwhelming. Spain, Portugal, France, Australia, and Switzerland have all shown us what’s possible when we prioritise women’s safety. Zero feminicides under Spain’s COMETA programme prove what can be achieved when technology, infrastructure, and rapid response converge.
The UK has a choice:
- Continue relying on outdated, inconsistent protections, leaving survivors exposed.
- Or invest in GPS-enabled solutions that deter offenders, protect survivors, and save lives.
Protecting women is not optional. It is a moral, legal, and political obligation. Every delay comes with a cost measured in lives.
About the Author
Now recognised as a Gender-Based Violence Expert, Robert Kaiser specialises in criminology-informed strategies to prevent violence against women, integrating insights from sociology and behavioural psychology. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Criminology, focusing on Synthesising Escalation Pattern Analysis Across the Dynamics of Intimate Partner Violence to Improve Lethality Assessments. If you would like to follow his academic journey and access his publications, please visit his ResearchGate profile.
Robert has worked closely with hundreds of female survivors of physical and sexual crimes and is the author of NEVER A VICTIM, a 530-page survivor-led, trauma-informed guide to women’s safety.