Mum of woman who took own life after 'horrific' domestic abuse calls for law change
Jessica Laverack was a talented hairdresser who travelled the world with her job. “She had a very privileged life. She had horses and she did lots of social activities," explains her mum Phyllis Daly, 67.
"She just had the most affectionate and fun nature. She was so bright, bubbly, but her personality changed completely.”
'The support my Jessica needed is still not there'
The mother of a woman who took her own life after suffering domestic abuse says the authorities are still not working together to support victims.
Jessica Laverack, 34, was found dead at her home in Beverley, East Yorkshire, on 2 February 2018.
At her inquest, the coroner urged the government to recognise "the link between domestic abuse and suicide".
Domestic abuse victim received messages in psychiatric hospital telling her to kill herself
Reporting of Ashleigh Inskip’s case comes as the National Police Chiefs’ Council said figures showed that the number of suicides following domestic abuse continue to be higher than killings in relationships.
A young mother took her own life after her abusive ex-partner bombarded her with messages urging her to kill herself – including while she was sectioned in a psychiatric hospital, Channel 4 News can reveal.
‘Failed in life and death’: Mums of women who died by suicide after domestic abuse call for change
Jessie Laverack. Kiena Dawes. Chloe Holland. Three women abused by their partners. Three women eventually driven to suicide.
“The perpetrators are to blame, but the professionals let them down,” Jessie’s mother tells ITV News.
Since her daughter’s death, Phyllis Daly has devoted her life to driving change. Today, ITV News joined Phyllis and the mothers of Kiena and Chloe as they lobbied the government directly.
In a meeting with Jess Phillips, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women they told her the professionals "failed to support" their daughters.
Each of their stories are traumatic. In each case, the authorities had been made aware of claims of abuse.
Was Demi Hannaway's 'suicide' staged by her partner? Family say police missed clues - ITV News
ITV News has found evidence that casts doubt on whether police properly investigated the death of Demi Hannaway. Her partner Andrew Brown, who is a convicted domestic abuser, claims he found her dead, but her family does not believe that to be the truth.
Demi Hannaway's parents have a meeting with Scotland's Lord Advocate tomorrow to request an urgent police investigation into their daughter's death.
Demi was just 23 when she died suddenly at her home in North Lanarkshire on May 13, 2021.
She was a mum to two young girls, she had a close relationship with her family and friends but behind the scenes, she was being regularly abused by her partner, Andrew Brown.
How did Demi die? Family of domestic abuse victim search for answers
It was a short time before six o’clock in the morning on May 13, 2021, when a 999 emergency call was made from a house in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire.
Andrew Brown had turned up at his next-door neighbour’s house at that early hour saying he had just found his partner, Demi Hannaway, dead.
She was 23, she had an 11-week-old baby, and her older daughter was going to be turning two in just a month. Demi had so much to live for.
Family hopeful Scotland's top law officer will order reinvestigation into abuse victim's death
Demi Hannaway, 23, died in 2021 after being the subject of mental and physical abuse by her partner Andrew Brown. Her death was ruled a suicide, however her family are calling for a reinvestigation into the case.
Scale of homicide and suicides by domestic abuse victims revealed
New report shows scale of domestic homicides and for the first time recorded an increase in suspected suicides by domestic abuse victims.
The report examines all deaths identified by police as domestic abuse related to improve understanding of risk indicators, victim and perpetrator demographics. The unique dataset collects detailed information on these deaths not available from any other source to help police and partners improve their response to domestic abuse, domestic homicide and victim suicide following domestic abuse.
The hidden death toll of domestic abuse: ‘There are more suicides than killings. Why isn’t more being done?’
More domestic abuse victims take their own lives than are killed by their tormentors, latest figures show, but perpetrators are rarely held to account for these deaths.
A grieving mother has said she is facing a “life sentence” after her daughter took her own life to escape her abusive ex-boyfriend – and warned that perpetrators are not being held to account.
Darlington parents want inquest guidelines on abuse after teen's death
The parents of a Darlington teenager whose suicide was linked with an emotionally abusive relationship have said the “postcode lottery” of poor coroners' services needs fixing.
The call comes after Roisin Hunter Bennett's parents won a legal battle to have abuse named as a factor in her death.
Calls for coroner domestic abuse change after suicide
The parents of a young woman who killed herself after suffering domestic abuse are calling for coroners to have more understanding of the impact of coercive control.
Roisin Hunter Bennett's suicide was initially attributed by a coroner to the "ending of a relationship" and "pressure of balancing work and studying for exams".
The 19-year-old's parents from Darlington successfully appealed to the High Court for the inquest conclusion to be amended, with the coroner adding she took her own life "due to an emotionally abusive relationship".
'Abuser should have been charged with killing our daughter'
The family of a young mum who took her own life following “horrendous” abuse by her partner say he should have been charged with killing her.
Demi Hannaway, 23, saved evidence of Andrew Brown's behaviour on her phone, which was not discovered until after she died in May 2021.
Brown, 33, was jailed for three-and-a-half years at Airdrie Sheriff Court earlier this month after admitting threatening and abusive behaviour.
The Crown Office said prosecutors take action where there is "sufficient evidence" and it is in the public interest.
'Evil' boyfriend, 26, whose girlfriend hanged herself after 'appalling' campaign of domestic abuse
A 'pure evil' boyfriend has been jailed after he ordered his girlfriend to self-harm and isolated her in such a shockingly cruel campaign of domestic abuse it 'absolutely destroyed her life' and she hanged herself.
Marc Masterton's 'despicable' psychological and physical assaults 'significantly contributed' to the 'demise' of Chloe Holland's mental health before she killed herself, a court heard.
Man jailed for domestic abuse that led partner to take her own life
A man described by police as "pure evil" has been jailed for a horrific campaign of abuse against his partner, who eventually hanged herself.
One of the incidents involving Marc Masterton, 26, and his victim occurred in Romsey, where he took a car and subsequently crashed after driving the two of them to Portchester.
The woman, in her twenties, was abused between January 1 2022 and February 1 this year.
Kellie Sutton: New inquest finds abuse victim unlawfully killed
The family of a woman who took her own life after domestic abuse said they had "fought for many years" for an inquest to rule she was unlawfully killed.
Kellie Sutton, 30, was found unconscious at the home she shared with partner Steven Gane in Welwyn Garden City on 23 August 2017.
A previous inquest at Hertfordshire Coroner's Court concluded she died by suicide, but this now been overturned.
Ms Sutton's family said the conclusion was "ground-breaking".
It is believed to be the first time an inquest has returned a conclusion of unlawful killing after a woman has taken her own life following domestic abuse.
Groundbreaking ruling in UK domestic abuse case
Kellie Sutton told police that she was ‘very frightened’ of her abusive partner Steven Gane, just weeks before she took her own life.
He was jailed after her death, for controlling and coercive behaviour. And now, in an unprecedented conclusion, an inquest jury has ruled that Kellie was unlawfully killed.
Our Social Affairs Editor Jackie Long reports on a case that Kellie’s family hopes will change the way such domestic abuse cases are handled.
Kellie Sutton ruling, ‘very significant move’, says former victims commissioner
Channel 4 spoke to Dame Vera Baird who formerly served as Solicitor General for England Wales, Victims Commissioner and Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner.