Criminal Justice Bill

Written evidence submitted by Stop Domestic Abuse to the Criminal Justice Bill Public Bill Committee (CJB11)

Cr e ating a statutory offence of manslaughter by coercive or controlling behaviour

I am committed to support Sharon Holland’s campaign to ensure the creation of a specific statutory offence of manslaughter by coercive and controlling behaviour.

It is important that our legal framework recognises the severity of coercive and controlling behaviour and the consequences which can lead to the loss of life.

Any new legislation must make it clear that it includes application to cases where coercive and controlling behaviour causes a victim to take their own life. We must ensure that perpetrators are held to account for their actions.

There are clear links between suicidality and domestic abuse, women who experience domestic abuse are three times more likely than their peers to try to have made a suicide attempt in the past year compared to women that have not experienced domestic abuse . [1]

It is estimated that approximately one in eight of all female suicides and suicide attempts in the UK are due to domestic violence and abuse. This equates to 200 women taking their own lives and 10,000 attempting to do so due to domestic abuse every year in the UK. [2]

43% of the victims and survivors Stop Domestic Abuse  has supported in the community over the last three years state that they experienced depression or suicidal thoughts.

78% of clients Stop Domestic Abuse are currently supporting living in our local communities are experiencing or have experienced coercive and controlling behaviours. We have seen a year on year increase for the last three years.

This year Stop Domestic Abuse has seen a 17.5% increase in victims stating that they are having suicidal thoughts or experiencing depression this year in comparison to last year and 8% of community-based victims have disclosed that they use self-harm as a way of coping with the abuse in (37% increase compared to 2022/23).

30.5% of victims supported this year by Stop Domestic Abuse have stated that they have experienced/are experiencing threats to kill from the perpetrator. Stop Domestic Abuse continues to see high levels of mental health support needs amongst victims and survivors that we support, with 46% of victims engaging stating they have a mental health support need.

In 2016 the Home Office recognised the link between domestic abuse and suicidality and broadened the scope for Domestic Homicide Reviews to include reviews where there was death by suicide within a domestic abuse relationship. Legislation to hold the perpetrator to account must be introduced to keep pace with the emerging evidence that coercive and controlling behaviour from a perpetrator towards a victim can result in death by suicide.

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Stop Domestic Abuse supports and protects victims and survivors of domestic abuse. We provide a range of flexible and accessible services across Hampshire to anyone affected by domestic abuse, including perpetrators. Our vision is a world without domestic abuse. 

Domestic abuse most commonly takes place in intimate partner relationships. The majority is perpetrated by men against women, but men are also subject to abuse by female partners, and both men and women experience abuse from same sex partners.

 

Stop Domestic Abuse is the commissioned service provider for domestic abuse services throughout Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton.   

Stop Domestic Abuse delivers the Police & Crime Commissioner’s Stalking Advocacy & Support Service across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. 

Stop Domestic Abuse is the trading name of Southern Domestic Abuse Service Registered charity number 1146773

December 2023.