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Every suicide where the victim had experienced domestic violence should be treated as a possible homicide, as per calls from advocates who aim to make perpetrators accountable for the catastrophic consequences of their behavior.

This step is necessary because law enforcement are failing to bring perpetrators accountable in cases of self-inflicted death after domestic abuse.

“In case after case, there is systemic and structural failure, particularly within the legal system, to examine these deaths with the seriousness they deserve,” remarked a leader of a campaign group at a significant meeting in Westminster earlier this week.

The meeting, organized by a organization running a “Suicide is Homicide” initiative to fight for reform in the criminal justice system, brought together families who had suffered bereavement to self-inflicted death after family violence.

Personal Stories of Tragedy

Sharon Holland lost her daughter her 23-year-old daughter in spring 2023. Prior to her passing, Chloe had reported her ex-boyfriend to police, submitting a two-hour video interview as proof against him.

Following her passing, the individual was found guilty of coercive and controlling behavior and imprisoned for 41 months. He was subsequently sentenced for an additional term after a second woman stepped up to disclose that she had been in a harmful partnership with him.

In the wake of her loss, the parent chose to advocate for a new law to bring perpetrators to justice; however she then discovered that regulations were already in place, they just weren’t often being used to achieve convictions.

“I concluded it was not a fresh legislation I needed as current statutes were already there, and after learning how much my daughter had been failed previous to her taking her life by the police and many other agencies, they had to fulfill their duties, and things needed to change,” she said.

“More than four dozen relatives have contacted me and only four of us have had a guilty verdict,” she added. “I was so shocked to see such a large number who have been fighting the police and prosecution service for years and getting no justice for their offspring or sibling and could not speak out in case it impacted investigations that were not progressing.”

Another Tragic Case

One mother’s child her 30-year-old daughter passed away in May 2017, in what she described as “the ultimate abusive action” in a prolonged pattern of mistreatment.

“She was vibrant, she was loving,” she stated. “She was full of promise, and she was an exceptional, deeply devoted mum to her two children, and she took her own life after 24 months in a partnership where she was systematically destroyed by her companion,” she said.

“She was physically beaten, she was mentally tormented, she was controlled and dismantled gradually until she was unable to envision a path ahead. The man who did this to her went unpunished, because we call it self-inflicted death, we conclude the case and we move on.

“Yet I was unable to continue,” she remarked, “and I haven’t been able to move on. Honestly, she didn’t just die by suicide. She was killed. Her death was gradual and intentionally over a two year period, and when I approached the authorities, when I pleaded with them to look into what he had inflicted upon her, I was informed that there was no action that they were able to take.

“There was no investigation into her passing. The domestic homicide review, which I had to struggle to obtain, required five years and had no impact. A lengthy coroner’s hearing found death by suicide, notwithstanding huge evidence over a extremely distressing multi-day session of domestic abuse and shortcomings by various agencies.”

The parent informed the gathering that for eight years she has “struggled against a establishment that refuses to see what is obvious”.

She said the suicide is homicide campaign was critical “since when someone takes their own life after they’ve suffered family violence, we have to examine it for what it truly represents, which is murder.

“We need to use the legislation we currently have properly and it really isn’t happening at the moment, and we need to make perpetrators responsible for driving their victims to death.

“We have the laws. We need the will, we need law enforcement to investigate properly. We need the Crown Prosecution Service to take legal action. We need the judiciary to recognize that words and control can cause death equally to hands and weapons.”

Government Reaction

At a follow-up gathering in the Parliament, chaired by a opposition politician, and attended by the government official, the bereaved relatives again shared their experiences.

A parliamentary under-secretary told the meeting: “These deaths are often dismissed as if they were their own choice, they chose to do this, when, in truth, these were the culmination of in fact, another person’s abuse, and these aren’t rare incidents.”

“Our law is broken, we are aware,” she stated. “Especially around homicide or manslaughter, it is piecemeal. It lacks statutory basis anyway, it has been developed with common law practices for generations, and it is no longer fit for purpose, quite frankly, it’s the world we inhabit today.

“I’m not going to pretend that it’s going to be simple to fix. It is extremely complicated and difficult, especially when you look at the matter of homicide, but we recognize that it requires examination.”

Prosecution Service Statement

A representative for the prosecution service commented: “Domestic abuse is a heinous offense and our prosecutors are actively advised to consider murder and manslaughter charges in suicide cases where there is a known context of domestic abuse or other manipulative conduct.

“We have in the past prosecuted a several individuals for causing the death of a companion they mistreated, including in proceedings which are currently active.

“We are collaborating with police and other parties to guarantee these types of crimes are clearly recognized – so that we can bring perpetrators accountable for the complete scope of their crimes.”