Matricide Rate Hits 16-Year High, Names to Be Read in Parliament
Data collected by the Femicide Census over the past 12 months reveals the highest rate of matricide recorded in 16 years. On Thursday, the names of 19 women believed to have been killed by their sons will be read aloud in parliament. This is part of research showing that nearly one in five women killed by men since the last International Women’s Day were suspected victims of matricide.
For the 11th consecutive year, the names of 108 women killed in the UK by men—or in cases where a man has been charged—will be read out. The reading is conducted by a representative of the Counting Dead Women project. As in previous years, special permission is required to extend speaking time beyond the usual limit for MPs during the International Women’s Day parliamentary debate, as reading all names takes more than five minutes.
Matricide Cases Among Recorded Femicide Data
Among the names recorded by the Counting Dead Women project are 19 mothers killed where their son was the suspect. This represents the highest matricide rate documented in the 16 years of Femicide Census data.
Clarrie O’Callaghan, co-founder of the Femicide Census, expressed concern over the increasing problem of matricide in the UK. She identified factors such as the collapse of mental health care services, problematic substance abuse, and housing insecurity as contributing elements.
“Often the men who have killed their mothers have histories of abuse of their earlier partners, so they had moved in with their mother after those relationships broke down,”
“However, despite our reporting on matricides for 10 years, no state agency has yet to acknowledge matricide, let alone take responsibility for tackling it.
“Women are rarely recognised as being at risk of fatal violence from their sons and there are few dedicated services for older women in the whole of the UK.”
Historical Data on Matricide and Mental Health
Last year, the Femicide Census reported that nearly one in ten women who died at the hands of men in the UK over the previous 15 years were mothers killed by their sons. The report titled 2,000 Women showed that more than 170 mothers were killed by their sons between 2009 and 2021. Mental ill health was identified as a factor in 58% of matricide cases.
Government Strategy on Violence Against Women and Girls
In December, the government published its Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy. The plan includes measures to tackle harmful behaviors among boys, educate pupils about healthy relationships and the impact of pornography, and equip teachers with skills to intervene. Women’s organizations hailed the strategy as a “milestone,” but some critics argued it fell “seriously short” of the funding needed to achieve the government’s goal of halving VAWG within a decade.
O’Callaghan commented on the strategy, noting that although it was the first to mention femicide, many areas of intervention provided by specialist organizations remained unacknowledged.
“We need new money, not previously committed money redistributed,”
she added.
Funding and Challenges for Specialist Charities
The government stated that the strategy is supported by £1 billion in funding. This includes £50 million for therapeutic support for child victims of sexual abuse, £19 million for councils to provide safe housing for domestic abuse survivors, and £550 million investment in related areas.
O’Callaghan raised concerns about the sustainability of specialist women-led charities.
“Specialist women-led charities … are at risk of closure,”
“This has been going on for years in the sector, and this is a government that knows that, and yet there is little change on the ground.”
