Mel B on BBC Newsnight: Spice Girl admits she doesn’t ‘trust the police’ to take domestic abuse seriously

Mel B has admitted that she would not call the police to report domestic abuse because it might not be taken "seriously".

The Spice Girl, 47, from Leeds, has called for the justice system to be reformed and said police officers need better education about spotting the "tell-tale signs" that someone is a victim of abuse.

She voiced concerns in an interview with Victoria Derbyshire on BBC Newsnight, saying: “I wouldn’t (call the police) because I wouldn’t know if they would take it seriously.

“Like if I’m living here and I want to report it to the police, I don’t know if I can trust the police. I don’t know if they’re going to take my allegations seriously.”

The singer has previously claimed she suffered “emotional and physical abuse” during her decade-long marriage to ex-husband Stephen Belafonte - a claim he denies.

Her BBC interview comes after she urged Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to make tackling domestic violence a key focus if he becomes prime minister.

The Spice Girl sat alongside Sir Keir at a Women’s Aid panel on Wednesday (1 March)

She grilled the labour leader about his five missions to improve the nation, including securing high sustained growth, building an NHS fit for the future and making Britain’s streets safer.

Mel, who is a Women’s Aid patron, urged the politician to add tackling domestic violence to the list.

"If you’re going to talk about your five main things you have to add another one on that is specifically domestic abuse," she said.

The Labour leader told Mel B that a "powerful strand" within his pledge to "make Britain’s streets safe" is tackling violence against women and girls.

As the audience began to laugh at the grilling, Mel added: "You may well laugh, but I’m being bloody serious.

"It needs to be a standalone thing that we get educated on from the ground up, inside out."

Following the questioning, Starmer said he "absolutely will make it a priority" if he is prime minister.

Mel warned him: "Keir, I’m holding you to everything. I will come after you. I will.

"For every survivor and everybody’s voice out there that can’t be heard, I am their voice - so watch out. Because I really do like you."

In 2022, the pop star received an MBE for services to charitable causes and vulnerable women, which she dedicated to  “all the other women” who are dealing with domestic violence.