Responding to research showing the systemic underreporting of suicides caused by domestic abuse, Ellie Butt, Head of Policy & Public Affairs at Refuge, said:
“The tragic link between domestic abuse and suicide is undeniable. Evidence suggests that a woman experiencing abuse is now more likely to take her own life than be killed by a partner. Yet the true scale of this crisis is being hidden from view, with recorded figures representing just the tip of the iceberg.
This is starkly exposed by new research from a suicide prevention programme in Kent, which suggests that official statistics capture as few as 6.5% of the true number of cases. In other words, almost all suicides linked to abuse are going unrecognised and underreported – obscuring both the horrific consequences of domestic abuse and the extent to which perpetrators are able to evade justice.
The trauma that can develop as a result of domestic abuse must not be underestimated. It can push survivors to their breaking point, leaving many feeling that suicide is their only escape.
A 2018 study by Refuge, in collaboration with the University of Warwick, found that 83% of people who used Refuge’s services reported feelings of despair or hopelessness – a key determinant for suicidality. At least 24% reported feeling suicidal at some point, and 18% had made plans to end their life.
In recent years, coercive and controlling behaviour has consistently been identified as one of the biggest risk factors in deaths caused by domestic abuse perpetrators. Despite this, most suicides are simply not being recorded as domestic abuse-related deaths. As a society, we cannot afford to continue trivialising coercive control when its horrific impact is so clear.
While improved police data collection efforts are welcome, there is a long way to go. Police responses to reports of domestic abuse are notoriously inconsistent, and far too often we hear from survivors that police have failed to take action against perpetrators or implement proactive protective measures.
Alongside others in the sector, we are calling for any suicide involving abuse to be investigated as a potential homicide from the outset. This should be accompanied by mandatory trauma-informed police training on suicide and abuse, and improved multi-agency collaboration to safeguard victim-survivors and prevent these fatal consequences.
Absolutely no one should be left to feel that suicide is their only way out of abuse. Insights from groups such as Southall Black Sisters and Project RESIST suggest that abuse-related suicides, including those connected to “honour”-based abuse, are particularly common in Black, minority, and migrant communities, exposing the disproportionate toll of this crisis and the need for culturally sensitive responses.
Without a thorough investigation into every suspicious death, lives will continue to be lost. Women are being failed by the justice system every day, and this new research must serve as a wake-up call to recognise and confront the true scale of this crisis so that these preventable deaths can finally be stopped.”
