At least 16 women and children have been murdered by their intimate partners or family members during Coronavirus lockdown in the UK over a three-week period.
Far higher than the average for the time of year, Karen Ingala Smith, founder of Counting Dead Women has identified at least 16 cases between 23 March and 12 April, including children. Over the same period during the last five years, the average is five deaths marking a three-fold increase in 2020.
In addition to these figures, domestic abuse charities in the UK have reported a surge in calls to helplines and online services during the lockdown period. This tallies with similar reports in other countries.
Smith said: “I don’t believe Coronavirus creates violent men. What we are seeing is a window into the levels of abuse that women live with all the time. Coronavirus may exacerbate triggers, though I might prefer to call them excuses. Lockdown may restrict some women’s access to support or escape and it may even curtail measures some men take to keep their own violence under control”.
She added that the number of women killed during this three-week period of lockdown is the highest it has been in 11 years. Seven people were killed by partners or former partners, three were killed by their father.
