New report: “The person most likely to kill a victim of domestic abuse… is themselves”
A Kent man is behind research by the Churchill Fellowship
A new report estimates over 900 victims of domestic abuse may be taking their own lives every year in England – and calls for a National Task Force to urgently tackle this “hidden scandal”.
Written by suicide prevention researcher and Churchill Fellow Tim Woodhouse, from Kent, it is the first detailed study of domestic abuse related suicides and their aftermath.
The report’s title “The person most likely to kill a victim of domestic abuse… is themselves” is taken from police data which shows that more domestic abuse victims killed themselves than were murdered by their partner, or ex-partner.
It was launched at an online event hosted by Nicole Jacobs, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, and attended by over 750 organisations and experts working in domestic abuse and suicide prevention.
KEY FINDINGS – the report:
• includes the first ever national estimate of how many domestic abuse victims maybe dying every year in England – over 900. When perpetrator suicides are included, it estimates that over 1,800 people are dying in domestic abuse related suicides every year
• discusses why female victims are taking their own lives (some are convinced they are about to be murdered, others are just worn down by the physical and mental abuse and can’t see another way out)
• highlights male victims of domestic abuse are also dying by suicide – but probably for different reasons than female victims
• describes a perpetrator’s decision to end their own life as the “ultimate act of coercive control”
• shares the story of one woman whose life has been turned into a “sh*tshow” after her abusive ex-partner took his own life and blamed her.
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS – the report calls for:
• a National Task Force to urgently understand more and create a National Action Plan. Over 1,800 lives maybe being lost every year – a national scandal that has so far been ignored
• an immediate step change in the way victims of domestic abuse are supported. Historically (and understandably) the focus has been on reducing the risk of harm from the perpetrator, but this needs to change now and victims must also be supported to reduce the risk of suicide
• lives could be saved by taking two very simple steps:
- ensuring every victim of domestic abuse is asked if they are thinking about suicide.
- ensuring every Domestic Abuse Safety Plan has a section on keeping the victim safe from suicide (as well as keeping them safe from the perpetrator).
“HIDDEN SCANDAL”
Report author and Churchill Fellow, Tim Woodhouse, said: “The issue of domestic abuse related suicides has been ignored for too long. These deaths are a hidden scandal but understanding how many people are dying in such horrific ways is just the first step. Crucially, we need to start identifying measures to reduce the number of domestic abuse related suicides.
“We need a step change in the way we support victims of domestic abuse. The domestic abuse sector has historically been focused at reducing the risk of harm from the perpetrator. This needs to continue, but in addition, we must take action to keep victims safe from suicide too.
“My report contains 66 different ideas that I have identified from conversations, visits, or meetings during my Churchill Fellowship that took me to Iceland, Slovenia and America. I am confident they would all have an impact, but other people may also have good ideas, so my main recommendation is that National Task Force needs to be created to develop a National Action Plan.
“The Task Force must include people with lived experience, charities, academics, politicians, policy officials and local services. Crucially, it needs people from both the domestic abuse and suicide prevention sectors in each of those categories.”
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, Nicole Jacobs, said: “I welcome Tim Woodhouse’s Churchill Fellowship report, which builds our understanding about the connections between domestic abuse and suicide, and provides insight in how we can work together to prevent future deaths.
“I encourage anyone working with or supporting people subject to domestic abuse – whether as frontline practitioners, local commissioners, or statutory services – to consider this report carefully, and reflect on their role in preventing domestic abuse-related suicides.”
Health Minister, Stephen Kinnock, said: “Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy, and this report highlights the urgent need for sustained, quality support for victims of domestic abuse.
“This government is committed to fixing our broken system to ensure that we give mental health the attention and focus it deserves. As part of the government’s mission to reduce the lives lost to suicide, the 8,500 new mental health workers we will recruit will be specially trained to support people at risk.
“We are also modernising the Mental Health Act and will give every school access to a mental health professional, to ensure we are intervening as early as possible.”
Other recommendations in the report:
• mental health clinicians should be embedded in every domestic abuse service and vice versa
• ensure all frontline professionals are trained in how to identify (and respond appropriately to) counter allegations of abuse particularly when the perpetrator presents as a victim in order to further control and isolate their partner or ex-partner
• domestic abuse victims should be provided with long term recovery support even after the direct abuse stops to help them process the long-term trauma
• improve the support given to people bereaved by domestic abuse related suicides. The emotional trauma left when either a victim, or a perpetrator, dies by suicide is overwhelming and has damaging long-term impacts.
• extend the Government’s Real Time Suicide Surveillance System to include data relating to domestic abuse victims and perpetrators (or establish an alternative national data collection process).
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