Politicians and experts have thrown their weight behind calls for suicides to be investigated as potential homicides in cases where a person who takes their own life has been affected by domestic abuse. They also called for better training for police so that officers understand the full impact of domestic abuse, and move away from “a tickbox approach” to suicides. Earlier this week, the Guardian revealed it was likely that the number of suicides linked to domestic abuse were being vastly underreported, with up to 1,500 victims each year. “I agree with the call that the police must fully investigate all suicides where domestic abuse is suspected, so that perpetrators can be held to account for their role. There is support across the political spectrum for increasing the number of prosecutions in such cases, and the government has dedicated funding to improving data on lives lost to domestic abuse, including by suicide.

Source: The Guardian February 19, 2026 07:38 UTC