Women’s Aid responds to an investigation by The Guardian into suicides linked to domestic abuse

This week, The Guardian published an investigation which revealed that the number of suicides linked to domestic abuse was being vastly underreported, with up to 1,500 victims each year.

Sarah Davidge, Head of Membership, Research and Evaluation at Women’s Aid, comments:  

  

Domestic abuse has a devastating impact on the mental health and wellbeing of survivors. These new findings are a shocking insight into the reality for so many families who are left bereaved of mothers, daughters and sisters as a result of domestic abuse, but are too often denied justice because their death was not considered to be directly at the hands of their perpetrator.   

We know from The Domestic Homicide project, that the majority of Suspected Victim Suicides after Domestic Abuse victims (SVSDA) from an intimate partner were also identified as having a history of coercive and controlling behaviour within these relationships. The figures today show that the extent of the official figures significantly underpresent the reality behind the impact of domestic abuse. 

It is imperative that understanding of the nature and impact of coercive and controlling behaviour is improved across all agencies that come into contact with survivors, through training like that offered by Women’s Aid.  

With cases against perpetrators all too often dropped after death by suicide, grieving families are failed by the justice system and perpetrators do not face justice. 

We must do better to protect women and children from their abusers and to help them believe their voices will be heard, before they feel like it is too late.