The Number Of Female Murder Victims Is At Its Highest Level Since 2006

New figures have shown a 10% rise in the number of female homicide victims compared to last year, with 241 female victims of murder, manslaughter and infanticide in the 12-month period to March 2019. Terrifyingly, the number of women killed by a current of former partner has increased by nearly a third.

The overall figures – which mean female homicide victim figures have hit a 14-year high – are the second annual increase, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Almost half of female victims (48%) were killed in a domestic homicide – with the suspect being a partner or ex-partner in 39% of cases.

‘It is deeply disturbing to see that more women are being killed, in part due to a rise in homicides as a result of domestic abuse,’ Alex Mayes, external affairs manager at the charity Victim Support told the Guardian.

‘Working with the families bereaved by murder and manslaughter, we know that the impact of these crimes is devastating to both families and communities. These statistics highlight the fatal impact of domestic abuse and show how much more needs to be done to tackle abuse and keep victims safe.’

Domestic abuse charities are now calling for the government to ensure safe housing for anyone fleeing domestic abuse is a priority in the upcoming domestic abuse bill – which the government has insisted it will reintroduce to Parliament. The bill would put a legal duty on councils to ensure secure homes for people fleeing violence.

‘These figures are a devastating reminder of why it’s so important for women experiencing domestic violence to have somewhere safe to escape to, and how our continued failure to act is having fatal consequences,’ Hannah Gousy, head of policy and external affairs at Crisis, told Grazia.

‘We know that leaving an abuser can be one of the most dangerous times, but currently we’re leaving women with no option but to return to the very place and person they were trying to flee from, because they have nowhere else to go,’ she continued. ‘This is truly shameful; we can and must do better than this.’

Overall, the number of victims of homicide decreased by 5% - the first fall since 2015. This is driven by the decline in male victims by 11% - although men remain the majority of homicide victims at 64%. The number of black homicide victims was also at its highest in 17 years at a total of 97 in 2018/19.

If you are suffering from domestic abuse and need help, please call Refuge on 0808 2000 247.

In December 2019, Grazia started a petition to end the 'rough sex defence' after 59 women were killed by men who claimed they had 'consented' to violent sex. Sign our petition and join the campaign to stop men literally getting away with murder here.