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ITV News Correspondent Sangita Lal speaks to the family of a woman who committed suicide after experiencing domestic abuse, as new data is released<\/p>\n
A case of suicide following domestic abuse where both the victim and suspect were aged under 18 has been included in official police data for the first time in England and Wales.<\/p>\n
It was among 150 suspected cases where abuse victims ended their lives in the year to March 2025.<\/p>\n
These figures were published in Tuesday’s annual report of the Domestic Homicide Project, which analyses police recorded domestic homicides.<\/p>\n
Access to violent pornography and “toxic influencers” online may be fuelling abuse cases among teenagers aged 16 to 19, says national policing lead for domestic abuse, Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe. <\/p>\n
A higher proportion of this demographic were victims of domestic abuse compared to those aged 25 and older in the year to March 2025, according to the annual Crime Survey for England and Wales.<\/p>\n
Across all age groups, there has been a higher proportion of police recorded domestic homicides where a victim took their own life after suffering abuse, compared to those where a partner killed the victim. <\/p>\n
In the five years of the annual Domestic Homicide Project, 414 cases were intimate partner homicide, 227 were adult familial homicide, 553 were suicide following domestic abuse, 131 were unexpected deaths, 86 child deaths and 41 were classified as other.<\/p>\n
There have been four reported cases of suicides where the victim was under 16 and the perpetrator was over 18 \u2013 three an adult family member, and one an intimate partner, the project’s figures show. <\/p>\n
Commenting on Tuesday’s report, Assistant Commissioner Rolfe said: \u201cPeople are now much more likely to access violent pornography which normalises violence and behaviour in a relationship, and particularly non-fatal strangulation, (which is) hugely dangerous.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see the connection between the sort of sense of toxic influencers online and their sort of views that are promoted about women and women\u2019s status in society.\u201d<\/p>\n
Assistant Commissioner Rolfe said some detectives are overwhelmed by their workload and, therefore, more likely to close cases as suicide without further investigation.<\/p>\n
\u201cInvestigators are dealing with sustained exposure to trauma because of the number of cases they\u2019re dealing with,” she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re seeing that sometimes that\u2019s affecting their investigative decisions in terms of, if there\u2019s a case that on a knife-edge, and it could be dealt with as a straightforward suicide, or it could be a long, protracted investigation, when it\u2019s one of 20 or 30 cases on their books, (there is) the motivation to close it early.\u201d<\/p>\n
Campaigners want a new law to make suicide following domestic abuse a specific criminal offence separate from manslaughter, to make it easier for juries to understand.<\/p>\n
Frank Mullane from support service Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse said: \u201cWe need a new law which separates suicide from domestic abuse, from manslaughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m speculating that the average juror sees manslaughter as maybe a punch-up in a car park, other types of killing. I think if we separate suicide from domestic abuse, it will help educate the public.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the past five years, there have been 17 cases where domestic abuse charges have been brought after a victim took their own life, three of which investigated possible manslaughter.<\/p>\n
There are expected to be seven more posthumous cases, and the number of these investigations is expected to rise.<\/p>\n
Subscribe for free to our weekly newsletter <\/a>for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning. <\/p>\n In total, 1,452 deaths linked to domestic abuse were recorded over a five-year period, and 347 deaths in the year to March 2025.<\/p>\n This is an increase of 85 deaths from the previous year, most of which are suspected suicides following domestic abuse.<\/p>\n Police believe this is down to increased recording of such cases rather than a rise in the number of crimes being committed.<\/p>\n Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls Jess Phillips said: \u201cEvery life lost to domestic abuse is a devastating tragedy, and my thoughts are with families and loved ones left grieving.<\/p>\n \u201cI welcome this important report, which highlights the link between domestic abuse and suicide, and reinforces the need for tougher action to stop perpetrators causing harm.<\/p>\n \u201cOur Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy sets out how we are rooting out the causes of domestic abuse-related deaths and deploying the full power of the state to crack down on these vile crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n How to get help if you are struggling with your mental health <\/p>\n CALM<\/a> (Campaign Against Living Miserably) – Helpline: 0800 58 58 58<\/p>\n MIND<\/a> provides advice and support<\/a> to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Information line: 0300 123 3393<\/p>\n Samaritans<\/a> is an organisation offering confidential support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair. Phone 116 123 (a free 24 hour helpline).<\/p>\n