Under the current law, most domestic murders have a 15-year sentencing starting point, because they take place in the home with a weapon most likely already at the scene. However, for other murders where a weapon is taken to the scene with intent, the starting point is 25 years.
Earlier this month, the Government announced it intends to close this 10-year gap so that domestic murders are dealt with the same severity as other murders – regardless of whether they happen at home or anywhere else.
The Femicide in Merseyside report highlights why this change matters. More than half of women killed by men were murdered by a current or former intimate partner. For too many women, the greatest threat comes not from strangers, but from those closest to them.
However, there is more work to do. It does not address the harm caused by family member perpetrators. In Merseyside, 17% of femicides involved the killing of a mother by her adult son, compared with a national average of 8%.
What about survivors?
Survivors who go on to kill their abusers will not be subject to the new minimum sentence, reflecting the relentless and often life-threatening abuse they may have endured.
Ruth Ellis was a Welsh-born nightclub hostess and convicted murderer who became the last woman to be executed in the United Kingdom, following the fatal shooting of her abusive lover, David Blakely. Ellis was abused by her father from the age of 11 and entered the world of nightclub hostessing as a teenager, leading to a chaotic life marked by unstable relationships with men. One of these men was Blakely, a racing driver engaged to another woman. On Easter Sunday, 10 April 1955, Ellis shot Blakely dead outside The Magdala public house in Hampstead, London. She was immediately arrested by an off-duty policeman. At her trial in June 1955, Ellis was found guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced to death; on 13 July 1955 she was hanged at Holloway Prison.
On the 15th of July the family of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in Britain, received a measure of justice from this government.
Members of her family petitioned Justice Secretary David Lammy to recognise that had she been tried now, rather than in 1955, she would not have been convicted of murder, let alone executed.
She was granted a conditional pardon by the King. Ruth’s pardon asks that we reflect on what has changed in the past 71 years – but also what hasn’t. Women still face an unequal situation in the courts, and the law on homicide is currently under review. Ruth’s case offers insight into what needs to change.
Ruth’s pardon matters for two reasons. Most immediately, it lifts a weight from her family’s shoulders. They now have affirmation that their grandmother was not a callous murderer but a woman pushed beyond her limits.
More widely, it sends a strong message about the need to better understand the causes and consequences of abuse. We know more about coercive and controlling behaviour and abusers are being prosecuted. However, there is still more to do.
Every victim matters. Every family deserves justice. And we remain committed to making Merseyside a safer place for women and girls by offering support and guidance to escape abuse, violence and fear.