Refuge responds to Femicide Census stats

In response to the Femicide Census stats released today, Sandra Horley CBE, Chief Executive of national domestic abuse charity Refuge said:

This data shows the shocking reality of the sheer scale of violence against women and girls. It is horrific that women continue to be killed at such a rate by violent men. Sadly, it is not surprising that the majority of women are killed by their current or former partner. Women’s lives lost to male violence – leaving children without mothers, parents without daughters, families without loved ones.

We know that leaving an abusive man is complex and often dangerous. At the very core of our work is ensuring that women fleeing abuse have a safe place to go and the right support to help rebuild their lives. Austerity cuts have meant specialist services being cut to the bone and urgently in need a long-term funding solution to prevent them from being forced to close. Refuge awaits the new statutory duty to fund refuges, with sufficient funding to ensure every woman has somewhere safe to go if they need it. No woman or child fleeing domestic abuse should ever be turned away from safety.

The Government has a real opportunity with the upcoming Domestic Abuse Bill to cement its commitment to addressing gender based violence – and this opportunity must be taken. We hope the Bill will be strengthened, making it truly transformative, and that it will see a smooth and swift passage into law. Women’s lives depend on it.

For more information, please email press@refuge.org.uk or call 0207 395 7731.