A stark and chilling report presented to the UK Parliament has revealed the horrifying scale of femicide, with a woman being killed by a man every three days in Britain.
The analysis, delivered by Labour MP Jess Phillips during the annual International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women debate, documented the killings of 208 women by men in the year to March 2022.
The vast majority of these women were killed by a man they knew. In a deeply troubling statistic, 63 women were murdered by their current or former intimate partners, accounting for nearly a third of all cases.
A Pattern of Fatal Violence
The data, compiled in the Femicide Census, paints a grim picture of predictable and preventable violence. Most victims were killed in their own homes or in a private residence, the very place where they should have been safest.
Ms Phillips told the Commons: "The work of the Femicide Census shows us that these crimes are not isolated incidents. They are patterns of fatal violence against women, patterns which can and must be interrupted."
Beyond the Headline Numbers
The method of killing was most commonly by sharp instrument, followed by blunt force trauma and asphyxiation. The report also highlights that a significant number of women were killed by men who were not their partners, including sons, acquaintances, and other male relatives.
This comprehensive annual review serves as a critical tool for understanding the nature of violence against women, moving beyond mere statistics to identify trends and push for policy changes aimed at prevention and better protection for women across the UK.
