Violence Against Women and Girls

Violence against women and girls has been in the news again as Ryan Wellings was found not guilty of manslaughter following the suicide of his partner, Kiena Dawes. Kiena had left a lengthy suicide note saying Ryan Wellings had killed her. Wellings subjected Kiena to repeated physical attacks and relentless abuse throughout their 2.5 year relationship, playing on her vulnerabilities and her fragile mental health.

Wellings was charged with manslaughter following Kiena’s death and was the first person to face trial for manslaughter in such circumstances. Wellings was subsequently found not guilty of manslaughter. Previously, in 2017, Nicholas Allen pleaded guilty to manslaughter following the suicide of his former partner, Justene Reece.

Wellings was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for controlling and coercive behaviour and assault occasioning ABH of Kiena Dawes. This particular assault left her bleeding and unconscious on the floor with her 9 month old baby. Less than 2 weeks after this assault, Kiena took her own life, leaving her daughter in the hallway of a friend’s house in her car seat. Kiena left a note saying that Ryan had killed her. Prior to this assault, Kiena had been provided with a domestic violence alarm with a portable trigger. Wellings insisted this trigger was kept in the car. On the day of the assault, the trigger was in the car and in an attempt to trigger a police response, Kiena unplugged the base unit for the alarm.

A recent study by the National Homicide Project which examines information from all deaths identified by police to be related to domestic abuse has found that for the first time the amount of victim suicides has overtaken intimate partner homicides. A total of 242 domestic abuse related deaths were recorded between April 2022 to March 2023, including:

93 suspected victim suicide following domestic abuse (SVSDA)
80 intimate partner homicides (IPH)
31 adult family homicides (AFH)
23 unexpected deaths
11 child deaths
4 ‘other’ deaths (individuals living together who are not family members or intimate partners)

The majority of victims are female, with the majority of perpetrators being male. Four in five perpetrators are known to the police prior to the death. Wellings is no exception with a number of previous convictions, including one for assaulting his previous partner. These statistics feed into training and resources for the police to better equip them when dealing with domestic abuse suicides and to instill an investigative mindset when dealing with unexpected deaths, including suicide.

The rise in recognised suicides due to domestic abuse is likely to be due to greater awareness since the research began 3 years ago. Sadly, these figures arguably will not reflect the true reality.

The parents of Roisin Hunter Bennett who took her own life in 2022 appealed the coroner’s report following it not recognising that her death was as a result of domestic abuse. The coroner found Roisin took her own life following the ending of her relationship and the pressures of balancing work and studying for exams. Her parents disagreed and challenged the report at judicial review at the High Court. The coroner conceded he had made a mistake and it was recorded that Roisin had ended her life due to an emotionally abusive relationship.

Whilst it is positive the police are using these statistics to help their understanding what controlling and coercive behaviour looks like, it all feels a little too late for effective action to be taken and ultimately lives to be saved. Is enough being done to step in and support victims earlier, including adequately prosecuting perpetrators? Is there enough education in school around healthy relationships, to help identify worrying behaviours as well as learning what the impact of these behaviours can be?

There is a real drive from bereaved families to have suicide due to domestic abuse recognised by professionals tasked with investigating their death. It is no longer sufficient to just record a suicide, where domestic abuse is suspected and not recorded, this can be successfully challenged. However, in light of Wellings’ charge and subsequent acquittal for manslaughter, time will tell whether prosecutors are still willing to pursue a manslaughter charge following a suicide.

Domestic abuse support can be accessed through a number of national and regional
support services including:-
National Domestic Abuse Helpline – 0808 2000 247
Women’s Aid – www.womensaid.org.uk
Refuge – refuge.org.uk