The new BBC documentary Fallen Women shines a powerful spotlight on a reality that far too many families in the UK already know: abuse does not always end with a visible act of violence. In some cases, the sustained pattern of coercion, intimidation, control, manipulation and psychological abuse can leave victims feeling trapped, isolated and without hope.

At LOST VOICES UK, we welcome any opportunity to raise awareness of the devastating impact that domestic abuse can have on a person's mental health and wellbeing. The issues explored in Fallen Women echo the experiences of many of the families we work with, including those who have lost loved ones to abuse-related suicide.

For too long, the criminal justice system has struggled to adequately address situations where prolonged abuse contributes directly to a victim taking their own life. While coercive and controlling behaviour is now recognised as a criminal offence, there remains no specific homicide offence in England and Wales that acknowledges the role sustained abuse can play in causing a suicide.

Families are often left facing an impossible reality. They may see clear evidence of coercion, manipulation, threats, isolation or emotional abuse that preceded a death, yet discover that the law provides no suitable mechanism to hold perpetrators accountable for the ultimate consequence of that abuse.

This legal gap is why LOST VOICES UK is campaigning for the introduction of a new offence of Abuse-Related Suicide.

Our campaign seeks to ensure that where evidence demonstrates a clear causal link between sustained abusive behaviour and a victim's suicide, the law can properly recognise that harm. This is not about criminalising suicide. It is about recognising the devastating impact abuse can have and providing an appropriate legal framework where abuse has substantially contributed to a death.

The stories highlighted by Fallen Women serve as a reminder that domestic abuse can take many forms. Physical violence is only one aspect. Psychological abuse, coercive control, intimidation, stalking, humiliation and repeated manipulation can have profound and sometimes fatal consequences.

Every family who has lost a loved one in these circumstances deserves to know that their experiences are being heard. Every victim deserves protection before reaching crisis point. And every society committed to tackling violence against women and girls must be prepared to confront the reality that abuse can kill, even when no hand physically causes death.

LOST VOICES UK stands alongside survivors, bereaved families and campaigners calling for change. We hope that Fallen Women encourages a wider national conversation about the hidden harms of abuse and the urgent need for legal reform.

Support the Campaign

We are calling on Parliament to introduce a new homicide offence for Abuse-Related Suicide, ensuring the law reflects the devastating realities faced by victims and their families.

Sign the petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/781422

Together, we can ensure that no family has to hear that a death linked to sustained abuse falls through a gap in the law. Change is possible, but only if we are prepared to listen to the voices that have been lost, and to those left behind to speak for them.