Domestic violence suicides are already growing at such a rate that a woman in an abusive relationship is now more likely to take her own life than be killed by a partner.
But research into the number of women who take their own life in such circumstances has suggested official statistics could track as few as 6.5% of the true number of cases.
According to the Domestic Homicide Project, a programme led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), there were 98 suspected suicides in England and Wales following domestic abuse in 2024, compared with 80 intimate partner homicides.
But research by a suicide prevention programme in Kent found that about a third of all suspected suicides in the region between 2018 and 2024 were affected by domestic abuse.
If the numbers in Kent reflect the national picture, it could mean as many as 1,500 victims of domestic abuse are taking their own lives every year – up to 15 times as many as previously thought.
Article continues at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/feb/15/number-uk-women-suicide-domestic-abuse-under-reported-say-experts