Politicians and experts have thrown their weight behind calls for suicides to be investigated as potential homicides in cases where the person who took their life was affected by domestic violence.
They also called for better training for police so that officers understand the full impact of domestic violence and to move away from a “tickbox approach” to suicides.
Earlier this week, the Guardian revealed that the number of suicides linked to domestic abuse is underreported, with around 1,500 victims each year.
Official figures collated by the National Police Chiefs Council put the figure at 98 last year – but this exceeded the number of intimate partner murders for the second year running.
Campaigner Karen Ingala Smith said: “How many women take their own lives because of male violence is a shame for our society and a reflection of how short women’s lives are. Every woman who ends her own life takes many other steps to end abuse before it gets to that point. We need to stop discouraging women and make sure there are adequate pathways to safety.”
Dame Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, said: “Victims of domestic abuse are being failed and it is unacceptable that victims’ families have to fight for justice because the police don’t ask the right questions when an unexpected death occurs.
“I agree with the call for the police to fully investigate all suicides where domestic abuse is suspected, so that the perpetrators can be held accountable for their role. But we also need to see better training and guidance provided within the criminal justice system, so the seriousness of domestic violence and coercive control is understood and its impact on victims’ mental health is fully recognised.”
She said: “No criminal should escape justice because we failed to look closely enough.”
Vera Baird KC, a former victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, said the suicides should “definitely be investigated as homicides”.
She said: “Those things should be on everyone’s mind when they go to an unexpected death. And let’s not forget – sometimes these aren’t suicides. These are murders. The police should have an investigative approach rather than a tick-box approach. In a world of domestic violence, it’s worse to have a tick-box approach.”
Jess Phillips, Minister for Protection and Violence Against Women and Girls, said: “Every life lost to domestic abuse is a tragedy and we must do more to prevent it. Our Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, launched in December, sets out what we are doing to tackle the root causes of these horrific crimes and strengthen our response to all domestic violence-related deaths.
“We are funding the Domestic Homicide Project to capture information on domestic abuse-related deaths, including suicides, from all police forces to improve our understanding of this issue.”
Domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid said the findings were a shocking insight into the reality for many families who have lost mothers, daughters and sisters to domestic abuse, but are too often denied justice because their deaths were not directly at the hands of their perpetrator.
Sarah Davidge, head of membership, research and evaluation at the charity, said “official statistics significantly understate the reality behind the impact of domestic abuse” and “it is imperative to improve understanding of the nature and impact of coercive and controlling behaviour”.
There is support across the political spectrum to increase the number of prosecutions in such cases, and the government has dedicated funding to improving data on lives lost to domestic violence, including suicide. “It is absolutely devastating that over a thousand suicides go unreported every year due to domestic abuse,” said Mary Goldman, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for women and equalities.
“Too often, systems and laws meant to protect victims simply fail. We need wholesale changes to ensure these horrific crimes go unpunished and that victims and their loved ones finally get justice.
“The Liberal Democrats will press the government to ensure that all suicides where domestic abuse is suspected are investigated as potential homicides from the outset, so that evidence is preserved and abusers are finally brought to justice.”
Mims Davies, Shadow Minister for Women, said: “To tackle – and ultimately prevent – this growing crisis it is essential that government departments act collectively and urgently.”
She added: “Following reports that officers had previously been unable to review records of domestic violence offenders, Maria was asked to access the Police National Database (PND). A crucial first step is to ensure that police officers are fully empowered to conduct inspections.”
In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In Australia, the Crisis Support Service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the National Family Violence Counseling Service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.org
