Bereaved families from diverse backgrounds have come together with Project Resist to build a campaign demanding justice for loved ones who have taken their lives in the context of domestic abuse (including coercive and controlling behaviour). Testimonies from the families highlight systemic and ongoing failures on the part of the police, the wider criminal justice system and other agencies: failures to investigate their loved ones’ domestic abuse related suicides as potential homicides, in addition to failures to adequately protect and support them whilst alive.
The Failure of the Criminal Justice System
The families’ testimonies reveal disturbing themes of indifference and neglect on the part of the police in their investigations following a domestic abuse related suicide.
Two related issues have clearly emerged: a failure to investigate wider histories of domestic abuse as a result of a failure to recognise underlying dynamics of abuse and coercive control; and a consequent failure to conduct a thorough investigation of a death as a potential homicide, leading to a failure to consider charges of manslaughter where appropriate.
At best, families may see charges of coercive control brought against the abusers, often belatedly following inquests: charges which fail to reflect the gravity of the offending behaviour and its impact on victims.
Families often have to wait for years for the state to account for such failures, and it is usually too late by then to put them right.
The real issue is not any lack of police powers or gaps in the criminal law. As acknowledged by the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on domestic abuse - Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe of the Metropolitan Police - investigators miss obvious patterns of coercive and controlling behaviour in too many cases:
“It’s very clear that there is more for us to do, to be really curious about what’s happened, to ensure that evidence at the scene of an incident is very thoroughly captured and explored.”
This recognition of the prevalence of police mishandling of domestic abuse-related suicides is welcome but it is not enough. Lessons learnt from countless Domestic Homicide Reviews tell us that the failure of the police to be ‘really curious about what’s happened’ is not the whole problem. Rather, we are faced with serious structural and systemic issues around responses to domestic abuse and coercive control.
Justice and the Inquest System
Historically, this specific form of violence against women (domestic abuse related suicides) has always been ignored or inadequately addressed, in the face of entrenched indifference, neglect and a culture of refusal to investigate on the part of the police. As a result, bereaved families have had to use the inquest system in order to seek answers through some semblance of scrutiny of the circumstances in which their loved ones may have died. However, even that is subject to sound legal advice and representation, and the quality of scrutiny brought to bear can vary considerably: all too often, a coroner will restrict the remit of the inquest narrowly, with the focus on how and not why the victims took their lives.
Inquest outcomes concerning the tragic deaths of Jessica Laverack (2022), and Kellie Sutton (2024) - where a ground breaking conclusion of unlawful killing was returned – and the recent case of Keina Dawes (2025) have done much to bring to recent public attention, not only the links between suicide and domestic abuse, but also the fact that many bereaved families continue to feel badly let down by the criminal justice system.
Too many victims and their families are seriously failed and will continue to be failed unless the demands of this campaign are properly addressed.
Campaign Demands
In particular, we seek:
A clear and unequivocal recognition in police policy and procedural guidance that suicide in the context of any evidence of domestic abuse may be a potential homicide, i.e. a presumption that any such suicide should be investigated as a potential homicide from the outset until and unless there is clear evidence to rebut that presumption.
A recognition to a similar effect in CPS policy and guidance in order to ensure that police investigating any such case of suicide receive appropriate support from prosecutors.
A recognition in sentencing guidelines that, upon conviction of anyone accused of homicide in any such case of suicide, the context of domestic abuse (including coercive and controlling behaviour) should be seen as a particularly egregious aggravating factor attracting an appropriate sentence
Non-means tested legal aid for the bereaved family in any such case of suicide to ensure they have access to free legal advice and support to help navigate their way through the complex processes of the police investigation and any ensuing criminal prosecution and/or inquest.
An explicit commitment in policy and guidance to ensure that links between suicide and domestic abuse are recognised and addressed consistently across the statutory and specialist sectors involved in multi-agency responses to any such case of suicide.
An educational preventative program across the statutory and specialist sectors to ensure an understanding of the high-risk indictors of suicidal ideation and the concrete steps required to protect a potential victim of such suicide.
The adequate provision of specialist and holistic advocacy and counselling services to support vulnerable adults to exit from abuse safely and to rebuild their lives free from fear and harm.
Family Endorsement
Supported by the following families whose loved ones took their life against a background of domestic abuse and coercive control:
Sharon Holland (mother of Chloe Holland. Died 6.3.23)
Rachel Whiting (sister of Sarah Jane Whiting. Died 12.4.23
Debbie Hood (mother of Kerry Louise Hensby. Died 9.8.20)
Pamea Taylor (mother of Kellie Marie Sutton. Died 26.8.17)
Phyllis Daly (mother of Jessica Laverack. Died 2.02.18)
Asha Jackson. (sister of Zoe McDonald. Died 7.1.23)
Michelle Baird (mother of Tarryn Baird. Died 28.11.17)
Teresa Hunter (mother of Matthew Dudley Hunter. Died 16.10.21)
Philippa (sister of Richard Barker. Died. 2.9.19)
Nikki (mother of Louie Powell. Died 21.11.21)
Sarah Wingrove (Sister of Leanne Allen. Died 23.4.23)
Sharon Walker (mother of Rachel Louise Walker. Died 15.3.20)
Andi Wilkinson (mother of Kara-Leigh Wilkinson. Died 5.8.23)
Helen Simpson (mother of Demi Hannaway. Died 13.5.21)
Donna Gibney (mother of Ashleigh Louise Inskip. Died 06.07.2021)
Sinead Gibson (mother of Diva Gibson. Died 10.05.2020)
Contact & Media
For further information please contact: pragna@projectresist.org.uk
Website links for further information:
Her Name Was Chloe Holland links: https://linktr.ee/hernamewaschloeholland
Project Resist’s Website: www.projectresist.org.uk