Words by ITV News Producer Jamel Smith
At least 172 mothers have been killed by their sons in the past 15 years, and children have witnessed their mother being murdered in more than 120 cases, a new report reveals.
The Femicide Census, a database tracking women killed in the UK, has recorded over 2,000 cases of women murdered by men convicted in court since 2009.
The soon-to-be-released report has highlighted a disturbing rise in matricide, in an effort that the findings will push the government to introduce a clear strategy to tackle fatal violence against women.
The organisation findings reveal that mental health played a role in most matricides, with 58% of cases (102) linked to mental health issues.
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Karen Ingala Smith, co-founder of the organisation, told ITV News: “We’re calling this an issue of state failure, the patterns have been clear for a long time.”
She added that mental health services have failed to carry out proper risk assessments for male violence.
“Nobody’s been asking the question about what’s going on, why hasn’t there been an emergency call for risk assessments for men who are abusive to female relatives?” she said.
“Nobody is looking at the bigger picture to say this is happening all the time. It’s such a constant trend year by year, the numbers don’t change that much.”
In 113 matricide cases, there was evidence the victim was “overkilled” – subjected to “excessive, brutal violence” beyond what was needed to cause death, often involving multiple methods of killing.
In one case, 76-year-old Bhajan Kaur was murdered by her son, Sundeep Singh, 48.
He had previously been arrested for controlling and coercive behaviour during disputes over the family home following his father’s death.
Ms Smith described the issue as just “the tip of the iceberg”.
She said: “Think about all the older women who are living now with abusive and violent sons, that won’t end up being killed, but will end up having their last decade of their lives in absolute misery.”
Meanwhile, 37 women were killed alongside 53 children, most often by the children’s father in 77% of cases.
A bleak picture
The report analysis reveals that one woman has been killed every three days in the UK since 2009.
It shows that 90% of the killers were family members, partners, or known to the victim, with 61% being current or former partners. Around 80% of the killings occurred in the victim’s or perpetrator’s home.
- The majority of women killed by men were aged between 20 and 60, totalling 1,458 victims. At least 5% were teenagers, and 22% were aged 60 or older.
- Evidence of overkill was found in 59% (1,183) of femicides.
- A knife or sharp instrument was used in 49% of killings, while 27% involved strangulation or asphyxiation, and 17% (339) involved a blunt instrument. In 16% (322) of cases, the killer used his body, such as kicking, hitting, or stamping.
- Most victims (71%) were killed by men in their own homes, often the home they shared with the perpetrator (40%).
The report also highlights the sentences handed down to men convicted of killing women.
While 60% were found guilty of murder, 22% were convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility or culpable homicide, and 12% took their own lives.
The shortest sentence served for murder was nine years, while the longest was 47.
Only 20 convicted murderers – just 1% – received whole-life terms.
The authors argue that “manslaughter is a controversial crime,” as of the 229 men convicted of manslaughter before 2020, only 18 remain in custody.
Some men avoided prison altogether. One example cited in the report involves a man who slit his wife’s throat from behind.
Despite a pathologist’s suggestion of murder, he claimed self-defence, and the court accepted this, allowing him to walk free.
The data also shows a significant difference in the treatment of sons and partners convicted of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility. While 76% of sons were sent to mental health facilities, only 42% of partners or ex-partners were treated similarly.
More needs to be done
Ms Smith urged politicians to take “a very broad approach” in tackling femicide.
She said British society needs to examine how individuals form views on sex and gender, as well as the roles of socialisation, family structures, housing, immigration, pornography, and prostitution.
“We’re (Britain) focused mainly on law and policing and that’s necessary and we know that there’s such a lot of change needed.
“But even if we had perfect policing, even if we had a perfect legal system, we wouldn’t be doing something to end men’s violence against women. that’s the only part of the picture.”
The current Labour government has pledged to halve men’s violence against women over the next decade, but Ms Smith says no strategy has been presented yet.
“We’re optimistic, we’re hopeful, but until we see that strategy, we just don’t know,” she said.
Jess Phillips, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, has been recognised by Ms Smith for her more “ambitious” approach to addressing femicide.
In the past, Phillips has frequently read out the names of women killed by men in the House of Commons.
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