Sutton Coldfield woman who survived being stabbed 24 times by partner while heavily pregnant sets out plans for new role as victims’ advocate

Natalie Queiroz MBE has completed almost 100 days in the post of Victims’ Advocate, having been appointed by West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster back in April.

She attended her first West Midlands Police and Crime Panel meeting on Monday (July 28) and shared spoke of her journey from being a victim to survivor and, finally, survivor.

Natalie was eight months pregnant when she was attacked by Babur Raja in broad daylight in Sutton Coldfield in March 2016. He was later jailed for 18 years for attempted murder and other offences.

She told panel members who she woke up in Queen Elizabeth Hospital after coming out of a coma, her bed surrounded by police officers instead of loved ones, to be told her baby was fighting for her life in another hospital.

the mother-of-three was then hit with the bombshell that the perpetrator was her partner whom she’d known for 25 years.

In 2017, she sought restorative justice and faced her ex in prison to look him in the eyes and ask questions she felt were not answered in the criminal trial.

The following year saw her successfully challenge the criminal injuries compensation authority on behalf of her baby, who suffered an extensive brain injury during the attack.

Previously, compensation wasn’t paid to babies in a womb but Natalie pointed out her daughter was a named victim in the trial and she was the first baby in the UK to be recognised as a person in her own right.

The money is held in a Government trust fund which she will be eligible for when she is 18 to aid with any ongoing support she needs.

Since then, she has published a book, set up a social enterprise, worked with young people, youth violence and domestic abuse organisations with the aim of reducing crimes.

This resulted in her being awarded an MBE for services to young people and the prevention of knife crime in 2022.

The past couple of years she has become an active victims’ campaigner and worked within prisons before taking on the Victims’ Advocate role.

Panel members heard how she wants to use her own experience to give victims’ a voice and hold criminal justice agencies to account.

She has spent her first few months looking at the system and meeting with agencies, officers, politicians as well as victims to get an understanding of how things currently work.

Natalie said she is developing an action plan to address existing issues and improve the experience for victims from when they report crimes and then through the whole process.

She said: “Nobody chooses to become a victim. It seems like an obvious statement.

“Being a victim does not mean you are weak, that you are to blame. Victims are not born, they are made through the actions of a person or a circumstance.

“Victims need understanding and support and empathy and, most importantly, victims need empowerment. People need to feel empowered to report crime.

“I fought my way through my pathway. From victim, to survivor to thriver.

She added: “My aim is very clear. I will ensure that the voice of the victim is heard and that the police, the commissioner and other criminal justice agencies are held accountable.

“I’ll be that critical friend, making sure all the services are doing their absolute best for victims in our region. Regardless of the crime, regardless of their background.

“I’m going to make sure we uphold the victims’ code and that everyone knows their rights.

“It’s been around since 2006 – it had been in play for 10 years when I became a victim and I can honestly say I had absolutely no idea about it. We have a lot of people in our communities who do not know what it involves.

“It’s really important for me that victims feel they can access the justice system at that first point and can be understood, that they feel brave and empowered and understand the process.

“The more people are informed the more they can take a positive journey as a victim to survivor to thriver.”