Domestic Abuse-Related Women Suicides Up 20% Nationwide, Caseloads and Backlogs Slow Down Justice System

Police are intensifying efforts to hold domestic abusers accountable after revelations that 20% of victims' deaths are by abuse-related suicide go unrecognised and uninvestigated. Despite recent improvements, resources remain stretched, and caseloads and backlogs slow down the justice system.

Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, the NPCC's lead for domestic abuse, emphasised police determination to do more and to hold to account domestic abusers who drive victims to kill themselves.

While acknowledging that 'more posthumous investigations are taking place,' she admitted officers face significant hurdles. Resources are limited, and the scale of domestic abuse cases often overwhelms police forces.

Research indicates that domestic abuse accounts for more than 20% of all crime in many police areas. Rolfe explained that national guidance has been revised to improve responses.

'Officers too quick to assume, 'Well, it's a suicide and therefore a case for the coroner, not an investigation to be had by policing,' too often assuming that the domestic abuse perpetrator was the primary next of kin, and therefore risking evidence being lost by, for example, returning personal property like phones to those individuals,' Rolfe said.

'Not being sufficiently curious in speaking to family, wider family members about what might be going on. So we changed the guidance and we have seen some improvements,' she told The Guardian, citing efforts to encourage officers to speak more thoroughly with families and avoid dismissing cases as mere suicides.

Families feel ignored and marginalised

Families of victims often feel let down.

The Guardian's investigation uncovered cases where police investigations into domestic abuse deaths were dropped after victims took their own lives.

Katie Madden, a young woman, died hours after her partner allegedly told her to kill herself. Her mother was told police could only review a month's worth of messages before closing the case.

Recent policy changes aim to improve posthumous investigations. Inspired by the Metropolitan Police's review process after the Stephen Port case, Scotland Yard now conducts daily reviews of all unexpected deaths. Rolfe noted that this approach has led to more thorough examinations of domestic abuse-related suicides.

One poignant example is the case of Kiena Dawes. She endured repeated assaults and controlling behaviour from her partner, Ryan Wellings.

Dawes left a note saying, 'Ryan Wellings killed me.'

Wellings was convicted of assault and coercive control but was acquitted of manslaughter. Her story highlights how difficult it can be to link abuse directly to suicide but also underscores the importance of thorough investigations.

Resource constraints and delays hamper efforts

Rolfe pointed out that police budgets and staffing levels have not kept pace with the increasing complexity of digital data involved in investigations. Phones, social media, and messaging apps produce vast amounts of evidence, requiring time and specialised skills.

Long delays in the justice system also frustrate families. Many victims' loved ones feel investigations stall or are abandoned altogether. This has been especially painful for families like Madden's, who see their loved ones' deaths go uninvestigated despite obvious signs of abuse.

For many, these cases are deeply personal.

Madden's mother, overwhelmed and heartbroken, remembers her daughter's final hours vividly. Madden's partner admitted to violent behaviour but was never criminally prosecuted for coercive control. The police's limited capacity meant some evidence was overlooked or dismissed.

Rolfe explained that police are under pressure but remain committed. 'We're seeing green shoots of improvement," she said. 'There's still a huge amount more to do.'