Police Must Do More to Target Domestic Abusers Driving Women to Suicide, Says NPCC Chief
Police forces across England and Wales must intensify efforts to target domestic abusers who drive women to suicide, according to the National Police Chiefs' Council. Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, who leads on domestic abuse for the NPCC, has highlighted that officers have too often been 'not sufficiently curious' about the circumstances surrounding such deaths, potentially missing crucial evidence.
Changing Police Approach to Suicide Investigations
Forces are being asked to fundamentally change their approach to suicide cases where domestic abuse may have been a factor. Ms Rolfe revealed that more posthumous investigations are now taking place, but police are struggling with limited resources and systemic challenges within the criminal justice system.
The call for change follows the tragic case of Kiena Dawes, a 23-year-old mother who endured two years of controlling and coercive behaviour from former partner Ryan Wellings. Ms Dawes left a suicide note stating: 'I was murdered. Ryan Wellings killed me. He ruined every bit of strength I had left. I didn't deserve it.'
Wellings was convicted of assault and subjecting her to prolonged abuse but was cleared of manslaughter after a six-week trial at Preston Crown Court. This case has become emblematic of the difficulties in establishing causal links between domestic abuse and subsequent suicide.
Alarming Statistics Reveal Hidden Crisis
New research from a suicide prevention programme in Kent suggests that official statistics may capture as few as 6.5% of suicide cases linked to domestic abuse. If these Kent figures are representative nationally, it could mean approximately 1,500 domestic abuse victims take their own lives each year in the UK, according to analysis by The Guardian.
Ms Rolfe explained that guidance around such deaths has been revised to encourage officers to be more thorough in examining what led to them. 'Officers were too quick to assume, 'well, it's a suicide and therefore a case for the coroner, not an investigation to be had by policing',' she said.
Common problems included:
- Assuming the domestic abuse perpetrator was the primary next of kin
- Risking evidence loss by returning personal property like phones to perpetrators
- Not being sufficiently curious when speaking to family members about circumstances
Systemic Improvements and Ongoing Challenges
The NPCC has implemented several changes in response to feedback from families of women who died by suicide following domestic abuse. A review process now ensures a second pair of eyes examines each case, making it easier to identify patterns and connections between incidents.
'We're certainly seeing more posthumous investigations,' Ms Rolfe confirmed, describing these as 'green shoots of improvement.' However, she acknowledged that policing faces significant resource constraints and that many officers encounter crippling delays within the criminal justice system when pursuing such cases.
Only one other defendant has been convicted in similar circumstances previously, when Nicholas Allen admitted to the manslaughter of his partner Justene Reece in 2017. This underscores the legal and evidential challenges in securing convictions that establish clear links between abuse and subsequent suicide.
Government Response and Future Directions
The government has pledged to crack down on violence against women and girls through a strategy backed by £1 billion over three years. The plan aims to halve such violence over the next decade and includes commitments that:
- Every police force in England and Wales will have a specialist rape and sexual offences team by 2029
- All students will be taught about healthy relationships in secondary schools in England
Ms Rolfe, with 35 years of policing experience, noted that focus on domestic abuse work has significantly increased during her career. 'We're determined to do more,' she stated, while acknowledging that 'there's still a huge amount more to do.'
The NPCC continues to work toward improving police responses to domestic abuse-related suicides, balancing determination to pursue justice with the practical realities of finite resources and complex legal challenges.
