New data from the National Police Chiefs' Council reveals that only 3% of suicides linked to domestic abuse in England and Wales over the past five years have resulted in any form of prosecution. Between 2020 and 2025, 553 individuals took their own lives after experiencing suspected abuse in an intimate relationship, yet only 17 posthumous charges were brought.
Alarming Trends in Domestic Abuse-Related Suicides
The figures show that in 2025, a person in an abusive relationship was more likely to die by suicide than to be killed by their abuser, marking the third consecutive year this trend has been observed. This has raised serious concerns about the adequacy of police investigations in such cases.
Calls for Justice and Accountability
Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner for England and Wales, expressed deep concern over the low prosecution rate, describing it as 'hugely concerning' given the repetitive nature of domestic abuse. She highlighted that without intervention, perpetrators often continue their coercive and controlling behaviour in future relationships.
Jacobs noted significant variation between police forces in how they handle suicides linked to domestic abuse, with some failing to apply thorough investigative measures at the early stages. She pointed out that alleged perpetrators sometimes control the narrative from the start, discouraging officers from interviewing victims' families by falsely claiming estrangement. In some cases, suspects have even been allowed to retain victims' mobile phones, potentially losing crucial evidence.
'It is in the public interest for people to be held to account for that kind of violence and coercion,' Jacobs stated. 'Each police force must be much more rigorous in their oversight of what is happening in those investigations.'
A Landmark Case in Scotland
In March, Lee Milne became the first person in Britain to be convicted by a jury of killing a current or former partner who died by suicide after domestic abuse. A jury found Milne guilty of culpable homicide in Scotland, despite the fact that his estranged wife Kimberly took her own life and he did not physically cause her death. In England and Wales, no manslaughter prosecution in a suicide linked to domestic abuse has resulted in a guilty verdict.
Campaigners Call for Legal Reform
Some campaigners are urging a change in the law to make driving someone to suicide through domestic abuse a standalone offence. While Jacobs acknowledged that there are credible arguments both for and against new legislation, she emphasised that immediate improvements could be made in the quality of investigations at the time of death.
'No matter where we get to resolving that question, the fact is there are just such obvious things we could be doing in the here and now that would really increase the likelihood of much more accountability and justice,' she said. 'That does come down to the quality of what is looked into at the time of the death in that immediate timeframe.'
Support for Those Affected
In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
