Nine women who made reports to police went on to be killed by a partner, ex or stalker, study finds

NINE WOMEN in West Yorkshire were killed by their partner, ex-partner or a stalker in the past three years, despite previously reporting them to the police, according to a new study.

The research, by the website Broadly as part of a campaign with anti-stalking charity Paladin, showed that across 29 police forces nationwide 49 women were killed by stalkers, partners or ex-partners after having called the police about them.

Laura Richards, founder of anti-stalking charity Paladin, said: “These are the most dangerous of cases — they are murders in slow motion — yet women are still not being believed or taken seriously when they report to police.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However the number of women killed in such circumstances is likely to be higher, as about a third of police forces did not respond to requests for information, including the biggest force, London’s Metropolitan Police, and the third biggest, Greater Manchester Police.

Detective Chief Inspector Fran Naughton, of West Yorkshire Police, said protecting people from domestic abuse was a key priority for the force, adding: “Each domestic murder or manslaughter has its own set of individual circumstances and the level and timing of police contact beforehand will also vary.”