A man has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of a woman in south-east London in 2020, in a rare prosecution linking alleged domestic abuse to suicide.
Gillian Morand, 36, died in Bexley in March 2020. An inquest concluded she had taken her own life, but allegations of domestic abuse she previously suffered later emerged, prompting a Metropolitan Police investigation.
Seyhan Assaf, 45, of Berwick Crescent, Sidcup, has been charged with manslaughter and controlling or coercive behaviour. Police allege Morand was abused over a “significant period” and that it contributed to her death.
Detective Chief Inspector Dan Whitten said: “This is a complex investigation with very few charges of this nature authorised across the country.” He appealed for anyone who had contact with Morand in the decade before her death to come forward.
Samantha Yelland, senior crown prosecutor in the CPS London homicide unit, said: “We have decided to prosecute Seyhan Assaf with manslaughter and controlling or coercive behaviour. This decision comes after working closely with the Metropolitan police... Our prosecutors worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring these charges to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.”
