On 17 September, members of Killed Women were at Westminster for the launch of our Black & Blue Plaques: 'Killed Here' campaign, in conjunction with Earnies creative communications agency.

Blue plaques can be seen on the side of some buildings to signify that a famous person once lived there, commemorating the lives and talents of the former residents. And on 16 September seven more plaques were temporarily added to homes in Britain. 

But these ones are different. They are both black AND blue, and tragically don’t represent a person who was able to fulfil their potential. They are in honour of seven women whose lives were robbed of a future after they were murdered by a man. Each bespoke plaque includes the woman’s name, their lifespan and the words “killed here”, along with the sentence given to the killer and the words ‘“Murder is murder, change the law”.

Under current laws, if a murderer has brought a weapon to a scene with intent to kill, he or she would expect to be jailed for 25 years. However, if you kill someone with a weapon already at the scene the starting point is 15 years. “Sentencing for women murdered in the home by a domestic weapon is unfair. Currently, murderers receive around ten years less in prison for killing in the home than they do if they kill on the street - which is insulting to the victims and their families.” 

“We want the symbolism of these plaques to raise this issue in the House of Commons. The Government showed a refreshing approach to the riots this summer and we want this issue to be granted the same attention, in honouring the pledges made by the previous Government. While this won’t bring our loved one’s home, at the very least, families of future victims will be consoled by the knowledge that justice has been served.” 

Read Press Reports

Killed Women’s Fallen Women campaign calls for the deaths of all women who have fallen from a height to be reviewed by police to identify whether domestic abuse may have been a feature.

We want official data collection to track the number of women who die after falling from a height each year, and believe that domestic abuse should be a key line of inquiry for police in all such cases.

Criminologist Professor Jane Monckton Smith estimates there are around 130 primarily female victims killed every year in England and Wales whose deaths are not investigated or prosecuted as homicides.

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The campaign opening coincided with the Channel 4 documentary ‘The Push: Murder on the Cliff’ which follows the case of Fawziyah Javed, who died after being pushed off Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh by her husband in 2021.

Fawziyah’s mother Yasmin, a member of the Killed Women network, said: ‘Domestic abusers will continue to get away with murder if we don’t ensure the cases of so-called fallen women are rigorously investigated by authorities. We must have a system that delivers justice for these women.’

‘The Push’ has won ‘Best Programme’ at the Asian Media Awards and ‘Best Documentary Series’ at the Grierson Awards. This telling of Fawziyah’s story has helped people leave abusive relationships and saved lives around the world.

Killed Women and research organisation Ipsos have recently conducted an anonymous survey for relatives of women killed by male violence.

The aim of the survey was to better understand the experiences of bereaved families and what changes must be made to ensure women are protected, families supported and justice delivered.

The findings from the survey have now been collated into a report (entitled ‘YOU WERE TOLD: A Voice for Killed Women’), published and shared with the public at our Westminster event on 5th December 2023, entitled The Final Protest.

The report is the first national survey of the bereaved families of women killed by men, finding that two thirds of family members said that the killer had a prior history of violence or abuse, with 78% of respondents who said that there was a history of abuse towards the victim reporting that at least one service knew about the abuse prior to the killing.

Moreover, the missed opportunities to prevent the killing of their loved ones was just one of a litany of failures revealed in the survey. The report outlines numerous recommendations for Government to consider helping bring justice to the families of the women killed and make the UK a safer place for our daughters, sisters, mothers and loved ones.

“The statistics of this report, and the devastating testimony given by the families, demand an urgent response from those who hold the power to save women’s lives. The Final Protest shines a light on these issues in a way that can’t be ignored. Nothing can bring these women back but, using their voices, we can push for policy and action that focuses on prevention and intervention to stop these terrible crimes from happening, and a justice system that responds with absolute intolerance when they do.”

Be a voice for Killed Women and demand change. Click on the button below to access the report - and send it to your MP.

This consultation, published by the Ministry of Justice, considered:

- raising starting points for killings with a history of coercive and controlling abuse or with a weapon;

- and whether murderers who use a knife or other weapon already at the crime scene should also face steeper starting points – which would result in higher minimum jail terms in these cases.

Julie Devey, Carole Gould and Elaine Newborough of Killed Women discuss these - and related - issues in a short film entitled

‘The Change That’s Needed’

These three mothers of Killed Women were interviewed by Julie Etchingham for ITV’s Tonight programme on Thursday 22 February 2024, at 8.30pm:

‘Murdered at Home’

CONSULTATION CLOSED 4 MARCH 2024

The Ministry of Justice is now considering its response to the public consultation following 5,200 responses.

On 5th December 2023, Victoria Tower Gardens in Westminster was transformed with a powerful installation of over 100 protest placards, each one representing a woman killed by a man within the previous 12 months.

‘The Final Protest’, staged by Killed Women and integrated marketing agency VML (formerly Wunderman Thompson), aligned with the launch of KW’s new report ‘YOU WERE TOLD: A Voice for Killed Women’, which has found that the vast majority of murders and manslaughters of women by men were preventable.

VML’s involvement in the campaign came after learning that the sister of a colleague was killed by her recently ex-boyfriend in 2018. Poppy Devey Waterhouse was only 24 years old when she was killed after she ended the relationship.

‘The Final Protest’ was a protest with a difference. The only attendees were women who had been killed by men during the past year. The placards – all 108 of them – featured a message from the women, written by their families, to give them back their voice. Among the messages are: ‘Am I now just ‘another killed woman’?, ‘There is no justice’ and ‘He stabbed me 23 times, my family feel every one’.

The silent but powerful protest was followed by a march from Victoria Tower Gardens to Parliament Square, with many families and friends of the victims involved.

‘The Final Protest’ was also supported by social activity, both organic and influencer, across the rest of the week, encouraging viewers to read the report and email their MP.

Anna Ryder, Director of Killed Women, said: “For the first time, this survey has allowed us to paint a more comprehensive picture of the experiences of bereaved families and the failings that led to their loved ones’ deaths. That picture is bleak. The statistics of this report, and the devastating testimony given by the families, demand an urgent response from those who hold the power to save women’s lives.”

Zebedee Devey Waterhouse, creative at VML and brother of Poppy Devey Waterhouse, said: “It’s been empowering to be able to harness the talent and kindness of the people I work with and use it to further a cause so close to my heart. At school, my sister Poppy was voted by her classmates as ‘the most likely to change the world’. Since she was killed, my family and I have taken on the mantle through our work with Killed Women.”

Killed Women were at The Table of Love and Loss, the memorial event in loving memory of Jan Mustafa, in East Ham Town Hall on Sunday afternoon, 3rd December.

Now in its second year, the one day event, which was open to the public, provided an opportunity to offer solidarity and hope to bereaved families who have lost relatives in tragic circumstances, while helping wider society to learn about individual cases and the ordeal that relatives of victims face.

Among those attending were charities and organisations specialising in domestic abuse, mental health crisis, suicide, honour based abuse, stalking, homicide, road rage, knife crime, drugs & alcohol, missing persons, support for bereaved families, modern slavery and forced marriage.

Representatives from the London Probation Victim Contact Scheme and Metropolitan Police were also present. Guest speakers included Anjum Mouj from the London Black Women’s Project, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE – Mayor of Newham, Detective Sergeant Isla Edwards (MPS Specialist Crime South), Lejla Dauti, who helps amplify stories from domestic abuse victims, and youth mentor and spoken word artist Quinton Milise.

Anna, Carole, Jhiselle and Julie were invited to the 2023 Women of the Year event in London on 16th October as founders of Killed Women. They report:

‘Although it was really tough at times, listening to others and meeting new people, we got through it and were pleased that we attended. The room was full of the most amazing women: women who were exploring the Arctic, leading robotic science companies or changing the law, to name but a few.

Everyone we met was shocked when they heard our personal stories, and offered their support. It was an exhausting yet incredible day, making sure that more and more change-makers hear about Killed Women.’

‘An utterly surreal day at the Women of the Year event. It was bitter sweet but we received overwhelming support for our work from - among many others - Penny Mordant, Julie Etchingham, Baroness Casey and Gabby Bertin from the House of Lords. It was also humbling to listen to Merope Mills, Martha’s mum, and her journey to achieve Martha’s Rule within the NHS, as well as hear from so many other inspirational women.’

‘As women, we sometimes get to do some amazing things. I felt honoured and fortunate to have been one of the 450 extraordinary women invited to the celebration that was the 2023 Woman of the Year Awards. ❤️’

15 to 16 March 2023

Killed Women attended the Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA) conference in Swindon: “Anyway, listening isn’t enough” - A conference to help raise the status of victims of domestic abuse and bereaved families.

Speakers included: bereaved family members; Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales; Jess Phillips MP, Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding; Professor Bianca Harper, of Arizona State University.

The Killed Women campaign, led by bereaved families and many of the families of women killed this year and for years before, joined Jess Phillips on the afternoon of Thursday 9th March in the chamber of the House of Commons for the International Women’s Day debate as she read this year's list of women slain.

‘The families of the Killed Women Campaign who join us here today would want me to make clear that lessons are not being learned. Warm words are no longer enough. We honour these women not by reading out their names, not by doing any of the promises that happen in this place. We honour them with deeds, not with words.’

We are so grateful to Taran Padam and Michelle Farrow for taking part in the Cheltenham Half Marathon in September 2024. They completed it in record time and raised a lot of money for Killed Women. Two wonderful young people!

Every December, just after Christmas, the members of Codswallop FC play their annual fundraising match against White Chocolate Wanderers, in memory and in honour of their much loved and greatly missed sister, cousin and friend, Poppy Devey Waterhouse, who should be 29 years old but was murdered when she was only 24.

Wanderers just shaded 2023’s game, winning 2-1 - but nothing beats the hard-earned post-game fish and chips from Codswallop in Frome!

This year the players raised a hearty £270 for Killed Women. Astonishing generosity from the nicest bunch of people who kick a football around (and the occasional ankle…). Thanks for honouring Poppy and all Killed Women.

To help fill the aching void created by the second missed birthday of Megan, their beautiful, loving and beloved daughter, sister, relative and friend, on 12 August 2023 the many members and supporters of the Megan Newborough Foundation held a ‘sold-out’ Dance for Meg barn dance, with a fish and chips dinner, a hugely successful auction - and therapy ponies Pixie and Pickles!

Megan was brutally murdered by her work colleague in August 2021, at the age of 23. The aim of the Foundation is to raise money primarily for organisations and charities associated with women who are victims of domestic violence and homicide. Many thanks to Megan’s family, Elaine, Anthony, Claire and John, and to the generous attendees and others who gave over £4,000 in total, to be shared between: Killed Women; White Ribbon UK; and also Dog’s Trust, the latter chosen because of how much Megan loved her pets and how inseparable she was from her dog, Frank.

A second Dance for Meg will be held in August 2024.

Many congratulations and heartfelt thanks to both Jack and Jamie, who raised funds (over £11,000 in total) and awareness for Killed Women in 2023. Jack ran the London Marathon on 23rd April, and Jamie took on the immense challenge of the Mozart 100, a 105km mountainous race around Salzburg, on 17th June. Both Jack and Jamie ran in memory of their friend Poppy Devey Waterhouse, who was violently murdered by her recently ex-boyfriend in her own home in December 2018.

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