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
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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.
Sharon Holland said abusers are getting away with driving their victims to suicide, as figures show rates have surged year-on-year and overtaken the number of victims killed by their tormentors for the first time.
In England and Wales, some 93 people are suspected to have taken their own lives between April 2022 and March 2023 after being abused, while 80 people were killed by a current or former partner, according to the national Domestic Homicide Project.
Chloe Holland, 23, died after suffering a year of torment at the hands of Marc Masterton, during which he isolated her, tracked her phone, told her to take her own life, and repeatedly assaulted her.
The case was described as one of the most “appalling and heartbreaking” the police investigator had seen.
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Chloe’s mother warned that the number of suicides linked to domestic abuse is only the “tip of the iceberg”, as she demanded: “If there are more suicides than killings now, why isn’t more being done?”
Refuge estimates that as many as three women die each week in England and Wales from suicide due to domestic abuse.
Perpetrators are rarely charged over the suspected suicides, and, without a victim to give evidence against them, they often escape other domestic violence charges as well.
Despite a total of 216 suicides being linked to domestic abuse since 2020, The Independent can only find evidence of one successful prosecution, in 2017, for manslaughter in such circumstances.
Nicholas Allen was jailed for 10 years after his ex-girlfriend Justene Reece took her own life as a “direct result” of his controlling behaviour, which included abusive voicemails, texts and Facebook messages as well as stalking.
In Chloe’s case, Masterton was jailed last year for 41 months for coercive and controlling behaviour, but the CPS felt there was insufficient evidence to pursue manslaughter charges. His former partner Zoe Castle came forward after hearing of Chloe’s death, and he was jailed for a further 43 months earlier this year.
But Ms Holland has called for tougher legislation, and for a new offence of manslaughter by coercive control to be introduced to ensure that abusers are held responsible.
“A few years isn’t enough of a sentence for what he’s done to my family,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how many years you get, it’s never going to make up for what’s happened –but at least it would be a little bit more justice.”
During Masterton’s 12-month relationship with Chloe, he would routinely control her appearance, assault her, keep her from friends and family, belittle her, and tell her to take her own life, police said.
On one occasion, at Masterton’s address in Southsea, Portsmouth, Chloe threatened to kill herself after he assaulted her with a dumbbell. In response, Masterton handed her a knife and ordered her to harm herself.
He would also deliberately give her black eyes so that she would not be able to see her son, police added.
In February 2023, Chloe made an attempt on her own life. She survived for more than a month in hospital before she passed away in March.
“I had to make the decision to let her go; it was horrendous,” said Ms Holland, 51. “I didn’t know the extent of it all until she did what she did.”
Following her daughter’s death, Ms Holland discovered abusive messages Masterton had sent hidden in bank transfers after Chloe had tried to cut contact with him. He would transfer 10p with cruel messages written in the bank reference.
Before she died, Chloe reported Masterton for domestic abuse and gave a two-hour video submission to police, which led to the 26-year-old’s conviction for coercive and controlling behaviour.
Police staff investigator Nikki Brogan of Hampshire Constabulary described him as “pure evil”, adding that his crime was “one of the most appalling and heartbreaking cases of domestic abuse I have ever come across”.
Ms Holland said she is in contact with at least 30 families who have suffered similar losses, but only a fraction have seen their loved one’s abuser face any criminal justice.
She added: “For us it is a life sentence now. Our lives will never be the same. You can’t lose a child and just get on with it and move on.
“And with the ones that haven’t had any justice, they are just fighting and fighting; you can’t even grieve until it’s all over.”
Ms Holland is awaiting the results of a domestic homicide review (DHR) and an inquest into her daughter’s death, which she hopes will conclude that Chloe was unlawfully killed.
It comes after a coroner overturned a conclusion of suicide in a landmark case last year, ruling that Kellie Sutton had been unlawfully killed. Sutton took her own life after suffering abuse at the hands of her partner Steven Gane.
Frank Mullane, CEO of charity Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse, said that “inadequate, superficial or non-existent investigations” following a victim suicide mean that perpetrators are often not held to account.
“This leaves many bereaved families not only broken-hearted, but frustrated that justice evades them,” he added, noting that for many, a DHR and an inquest are the only investigations into their loved one’s death.
Abigail Ampofo, interim CEO of Refuge, said the figures around suicide following domestic abuse are likely only the tip of the iceberg due to underreporting. “The trauma that can develop as a result of experiencing domestic abuse must not be underestimated,” she said.
A Refuge study, in collaboration with the University of Warwick, found that 83 per cent of people who used Refuge’s services reported feelings of despair or hopelessness – a key determinant for suicidality.
At least 24 per cent said they had felt suicidal at one time or another, with 18 per cent sharing that they had made plans to end their life.
Ms Ampofo added: “Despite the harrowing impact that domestic abuse can have on the mental wellbeing of those who experience it, deaths by suicide are not formally recognised as domestic-abuse-related deaths.
“Refuge calls for greater recognition of how domestic abuse can directly cause suicide, and we will continue to campaign for a world where no more lives are taken by the crime that is domestic abuse.”
A government spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with the families of those who have lost loved ones as a result of domestic abuse.
“Abusers who drive their partners to taking their own lives as a result of their vile behaviour face prosecution under existing manslaughter and encouraging suicide offences.
“Our commitment to halving violence against women and girls within a decade, placing domestic abuse specialists in 999 call centres, and introducing bespoke protection orders, will also help us keep victims safe.”
Please donate now to the Brick by Brick campaign, launched by The Independentand charity Refuge, to help raise £300,000 to build a safe space for women where they can escape domestic abuse, rebuild their lives and make a new future.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you