The faces haunt. Joanna Simpson, Claire Marshall, Kennedi Westcarr-Sabaroche, Angela Crompton – women whose lives were brutally cut short, victims of men they knew. Their stories, and countless others, fueled a desperate call for change, a demand to confront the escalating violence against women that has become a national crisis.
A new law is poised to address a particularly insidious form of abuse: deepfake technology. The creation of non-consensual, sexually explicit images using AI will now be criminalized, offering a crucial layer of protection in an increasingly digital world. Alongside this, every police force will now have dedicated specialists trained to handle the complexities of rape and sexual offenses, a move intended to improve investigations and support survivors.
The government has announced Domestic Abuse Protection Orders, designed to address the subtle, yet devastating, forms of control that often precede physical violence. These orders will allow courts to impose long-term conditions to combat economic abuse, coercive control, stalking, and even so-called ‘honour’ violence – a desperate attempt to safeguard victims before tragedy strikes.
A significant £1 billion has been pledged to bolster victim services and provide safe housing for survivors, a vital lifeline for those escaping abusive situations. However, a chorus of voices from the front lines of this battle warns that these measures, while welcome, fall tragically short of what is truly needed.
Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, co-founder of the Joanna Simpson Foundation, delivered a stark rebuke: “It is indefensible that the UK government’s strategy overlooks the children and carers whose lives are torn apart by domestic homicide.” She emphasized the lifelong trauma experienced by those left behind, their urgent needs consistently ignored by policy makers.
Roann Court knows this invisibility firsthand. After her mother, Claire Marshall, was killed by her ex-boyfriend, the support for her and her family was, in her words, “non-existent.” She described the immense burden placed on family members, forced to navigate their own grief while suddenly assuming parental responsibilities. Without the intervention of a dedicated charity, she believes her grandparents would have been utterly lost.
“We are the invisible victims,” Roann stated, highlighting the lack of data on the number of children affected by domestic abuse. The focus remains on the victims who die, while the silent suffering of those left behind is largely ignored. A critical gap in understanding, and in support, persists.
Hollie Out was just fifteen when her mother, Angela Crompton, was brutally murdered. She recalls a trial that offered “very little support,” followed by being “left to deal with an unfair outcome” alone. The seven-and-a-half-year sentence handed to her mother’s killer felt like a further injustice, compounding her grief and leaving her with unanswered questions for decades.
“You are left with unanswered questions and feelings and feel you have nowhere to take them,” Hollie shared, describing the long-lasting impact of the trauma. She emphasized the profound lack of understanding regarding the enduring pain experienced by children bereaved by domestic homicide.
Jodie Edith’s story is equally harrowing. Her stepsister and niece were murdered in their own home, and the aftermath was a “distressing battle” through a system that failed to prioritize the needs of the surviving children. While her stepmother has provided loving care, the ongoing trauma and legal battles have been unacceptable.
“No caregiver should be forced to navigate chaos…just to secure protection for children who have already lost everything,” Jodie pleaded. She urged those in power to consider the perspective of a child who has lost a parent to domestic violence, and to recognize the re-traumatization caused by a system that should be protecting them.
Linda Westcarr, grandmother to Kennedi Westcarr-Sabaroche, spoke with raw emotion about the reality of raising a child after losing her daughter to domestic homicide. “Families cannot survive on promises alone,” she declared, expressing frustration at the lack of a concrete implementation plan for Jade’s Law, a crucial piece of legislation designed to protect children affected by domestic abuse.
The newly unveiled strategy, according to Minister Jess Phillips, aims to deploy “the full power of the state” to tackle violence against women and girls. But for the families who have already paid the ultimate price, the question remains: will this strategy truly reach them, or will they continue to be the forgotten victims, lost in the shadows of a crisis that demands urgent and comprehensive action?
