A new campaign is aiming to address the findings of a review that found key organisations failed to work together effectively to support domestic abuse victims.
In March 2023, The Femicide Census revealed Knowsley had the highest rate of women killed by men in the UK in the previous 12 months. During that period, eight women were killed in Merseyside, including three from Knowsley.
The year after, The First Step, a domestic abuse charity based in the Huyton area of the borough, commissioned The Femicide Census to complete an independent review into the killing of 63 local women in Merseyside since 2009.
Review findings and failings
While Knowsley is one of the most deprived areas of the country and has suffered significantly from government funding cuts, the 2024 review also said key agencies in the borough and wider Merseyside failed to work with each other and share key information about domestic abuse cases. The review also found that Merseyside's rate of matricide, when a mum is killed by her son, was two times higher than anywhere else in the UK.
Jenny Dennett, community domestic abuse manager at The First Step, told the ECHO: “There could be a multitude of factors. But what the (2024 review) found is there were state failings.
“There were a lot of failings from services not identifying abuse within family members, mother and son relationships. There was a lack of understanding, especially mother-son relationships, so opportunities were missed.
“There's coercion, there's intimidation, there could be financial abuse. There could be physical abuse, there might not be. But it could escalate to (murder), as we found in the Femicide Census.”
Mums are also fearful of coming forward when being abused by their sons. Ms Dennett added: “They don't want to get their sons into trouble. It's that instinctive protective factor that mums have. They love their sons. They really care about the wellbeing of their sons, and they don't want to get them into trouble.”
Campaign launch
In response, a campaign focused on tackling domestic abuse called Talking Action was launched. As part of this, a stall in Huyton town centre was set up yesterday morning (Thursday, October 29) with workers from The First Step. There was also a van parked up showcasing quotes of mums affected by this abuse and a QR code that people could scan to find out more information.
Those leading the campaign said it is driving efforts for agencies to be more aware of different types of domestic abuse and share crucial information with each other.
Joining The First Step was Detective Superintendent Ben Dyer, domestic abuse lead at Merseyside Police. He agreed with Ms Dennett’s analysis about why Knowsley had experienced high levels of domestic abuse, femicide and matricide.
He said: ”What we have recognised as a result of the report is that there is a need for more partnership engagement. It's a whole system approach as opposed to just one agency taking the lead, and making sure that we raise awareness of what support is available through The First Step.
"It's also making sure that partners have that awareness of this kind of domestic abuse so that we can recognise it and then put that intervention in as soon as we can.”
When asked if there was a lack of a joined-up approach between the police and different agencies on matricide, the detective said: “Maybe, because it wasn't recognised as what we would typically recognise as domestic abuse, we may have missed opportunities where we could have intervened or provided that support.”
Commitment to continuous action
Emily Spurrell, Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner, agreed. She said: “I think the Femicide Census highlighted a whole range of different trends and patterns specifically for Merseyside.
“It highlighted a lot of those issues around alcohol, mental health and what they play, and drugs and what role they play. But I think, as with any issue but particularly when we talk about domestic abuse, there is no one agency that's gonna solve this.
“We know that people will disclose to our brilliant third sector organisations. They'll disclose it to doctors. When we do reviews of domestic homicides that have taken place, it's always about information sharing - what agencies knew what and didn't tell each other. That is a common theme.”
Ms Dennett said: “We're coming together now with the Police and Crime Commissioner, Merseyside Police, to really push the understanding for professionals, for the people who are experiencing domestic abuse who might not recognise it, so hopefully we can start to slowly eradicate that and work more collectively together.
“We will continue as a specialist organisation to improve our training. I train the police with domestic abuse training. We do outreach on our media platforms, we will continue to do this to help people at home understand there is a way out, and there is support.
"It can't just be a yearly event. It's got to be continuous.”
In a statement on the Taking Action campaign, Cllr Shelley Powell, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods, said: “Domestic abuse carried out by sons towards mothers can have devastating impacts on both the victim and the wider family, and this campaign aims to shine a light on the support that is available for victim/survivors.
“When domestic abuse is carried out by a child it can be very difficult for the victim to seek support, with the conflicting emotions making it feel like there is no way out.
“However, there is no excuse for domestic abuse in whatever form it takes, and no victim/survivor is ever alone. I would urge anyone with whom this campaign resonates to seek support.”
More information about this can be found via Victim Care Merseyside, Merseyside Police’s webpage on violence against women and girls and The First Step website.
