Domestic abuse claims more women’s lives than we realise

Jan Monckton Smith, The Independent

It was crime novelist PD James who said that the detective story is less about murder than the restoration of order. There is much truth in this. Detective drama is a mainstay of our entertainment, and the most successful formula sees the tenacious detective catch the killer against all odds.

These fictional detectives have varying flaws and skills, but they all want that killer brought to justice. And we root for that detective, feeling safe in the knowledge that things will resolve, because the stakes are so high. We have to believe that of all the injustices and crimes we may suffer, at least we are protected from that one, because we believe that all but the most determined killers will be caught.

Criminologist David Wilson said: “People imagine that all murders will be treated the same, but in my experience, this isn’t the case.” He is right, and when we consider the scale of deaths from domestic abuse, we cannot be so comfortable that our systems are working. It is well reported that two women a week lose their lives to domestic homicide, but this isn’t even the whole picture. Suicides related to domestic abuse have only recently been counted, though estimates have suggested that anywhere between three and nine women take their lives in such circumstances every week. There are also the so-called hidden homicides — these are even more difficult to count as they are recorded as falls, accidents, or misadventure, for example.

For over a decade, I have been looking at these deaths, and I estimate there could be an additional two women being killed every week and their deaths not seen as suspicious, despite those suspicions being raised. The number of domestic-abuse-related fatalities, if we counted all the impacts, could then be as many as 10 a week or more. This is a problem recognised internationally, and campaigners in the United States are lobbying for legislation to improve policy and practice at scenes of domestic-abuse-related sudden death, and especially at scenes of suicide where there may have been domestic abuse. In the UK, coroners have been making decisions that explicitly link domestic abuse and suicide — see findings in the cases of Jessica Laverack, Kellie Sutton, Roisin Hunter Bennett and Jill Parton.

The findings from the coroner in the death of Daniela Espirito Santo are also very interesting, as well as the conviction for manslaughter in the suicide of Justene Reece. The National Police Chiefs’ Council stated that violence against women and girls is a national emergency, and pledged that police will relentlessly pursue the perpetrators.

Relentless pursuit may be what is needed, and criminologists will tell you that it is the surety of being held to account that best prevents crime, and not simply the severity of the sentences we impose. The Office for National Statistics reports, however, that less than 5 per cent of recorded domestic abuse offences in 2023 resulted in a conviction; that does not suggest that there is surety of being held to account — quite the opposite.

There are some uncomfortable truths that we must accept if we are to stem the tide of violence and homicide towards women and girls. There is still a belief that domestic abuse is about arguing and the dynamics of the people in the relationship, and this suggests equal responsibility between the two. Two judges have said to me that coercive control is a matter of common sense, with no real need for expert testimony in court.

This low opinion of domestic abuse reflects its low status as a real crime. It’s not just about two people arguing, it’s about the systematic control and subjugation of a partner through tactics that can include, for example, violence, financial abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse, surveillance and rule-setting. The entitlement to control that perpetrators believe in comes in large part from culture and society. We make excuses for the behaviours, we sympathise with the perpetrators, we protect them by treating accusations from victims with scepticism, we blame the victims for their abuse and even their own deaths.

Yvette Cooper said that misogyny is a harmful ideology that is on the rise. Misogyny is an ideology that infiltrates every level of our justice system; it’s so powerful, we often call it an unconscious bias, and it affects decision-making at crime scenes, police callouts, coronial processes, and trials. So maybe it is not that order breaks down if we don’t hold these killers and abusers to account, as PD James suggests, but that in the context of domestic abuse and coercive control, order might break down if we did.

That’s why I am supporting The Independent’s Brick by Brick campaign.

The Brick by Brick campaign provides safe housing for survivors of abuse, and it’s something we shouldn’t need, but we do — urgently. This campaign — to build safe spaces for women escaping abusers, and to raise awareness of the wider problem of domestic abuse — is absolutely crucial. We need the messages to be big and powerful, and when a publication like The Independent gets involved, people start to listen. This is needed, as it is an issue that affects everyone.