Jess Phillips wants us to know the names of women killed by domestic violence

Jess Phillips online abuse

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Jess Phillips wants us to know the names of women killed by domestic violence

By Hollie Richardson

6 years ago

Labour MP Jess Phillips has named the 111 women recorded as having died as a result of domestic abuse. Here’s why it’s so important that she continues to do this every year until it ends. 

In 2016, newly-elected MP for Birmingham Yardley, Jess Phillips, stood up in the Commons to read out the names of the 120 women killed by domestic violence in the UK over the previous year. “Today, I stand to honour every victim in the fight to end violence against women,” Phillips told fellow MPs, who fell silent while she spoke the names of murdered women out loud. 

Since then, the stats and news around domestic violence only continue to show that things aren’t improving. It was only last month when figures from the Office of National Statistics reported that the number of female murder victims has risen by 10% – the highest level since 2006. And further research showed that over half of women killed by men in the UK are murdered by a partner or an ex. The Domestic Violence Bill has been reintroduced to parliament, after prime minster Boris Johnson delayed the bill because of last year’s prorogation. But there is still such a long way to go.

    That’s why Phillips returned to the Commons on the week of International Women’s Day to read out the names of women killed by domestic abuse in 2019. “I rise like I rise every year to read the names of the women who have been murdered by men since this time last year,” she said. “I am afraid to say that that the statistics released recently show this is unfortunately not a number that goes down, but is in fact a number that is going up.”

    She also noted one woman lived on a street next to where she lives, explaining: “I saw the sirens and heard the roar, and knew I would have to read out her name.”

    Here are the names of the 111 women who were killed by domestic violence in 2019, provided by The Femicide Census.

    Charlotte Huggins

    Jay Edmunds

    Simbiso Aretha Moula

    Sarah Ashraf

    Asma Begum

    Luz Margory Isaza Villegas

    Leanne Unsworth

    Christy Walshe

    Alison Hunt

    Mary Annie Sowerby

    Margaret Smyth

    Mary Page

    Libby Squire

    Antoinette Donnegan,

    Rosie Derbyshire

    Aliny Mendes

    Sarah Henshaw

    Dorothy Bowyer

    A 73-year old woman who has not yet been named died 11 days after being mugged in Birmingham.

    Jodi Miller

    Jodie Chesney

    Elize Stevens

    Laureline Garcia-Bertaux

    Giselle Marimon-Herrera, 37 and her 15-year-old daughter Allison Marimon-Herrera

    Lalal Kamara

    Alice Morrow

    Rachel Evans

    Alison McKenzie

    Janette Dunbavand

    Barbara Heywood

    Paula Meadows

    Anna Reed

    Sarah Fuller

    Megan Newton

    Leah Fray

    Siama Riaz

    Sammy-Lee Lodwig

    Amy Parsons

    Emma Faulds

    Lauren Griffiths

    Ellie Gould

    Joanne Hamer

    Mavis Long

    Julia Rawson

    Tatiana Koudriavtsev

    Jayde Hall

    Elizabeth McShane

    Linda Treeby

    Regan Tierney

    Paige Gibson

    Neomi Smith

    Safie Xheta

    Lucy Rushton

    Kelly Fauvrelle

    Joanna Thompson

    Ligita Kostiajeviene

    Lesley Pearson

    Carol Milne

    Layla Arezo

    Doreen Virgo

    Diane Dyer

    Kayleigh Hanks

    Kelly-Anne Case

    Dorothy Woolmer

    Dr Leela (Premm) Monti

    Natalie Critchlow

    Lindsey Birbeck

    Belinda Rose

    Pamela Mellor

    Linda Vilika

    Michelle Pearson

    Rebecca Simpson

    Alice Farquharson

    Laura Rakstelyte

    Sandra Samuels

    Marlene McCabe

    Lana Nemceva

    Bethany Fields

    Serafima Mashaka

    Vera Hudson

    Keely Bunker

    Christina Ortiz-Lozano

    Emily Goodman

    Margaret Robertson

    Arlene Williams

    Sarah Hassall

    Suvekshya Burathoki

    Niyat Berhane Teklemariam

    Lesley Spearing

    Zoe Orton

    Beatrice Yankson

    Levi Ogden

    Tsegereda Gebremariam

    Nicola Stevenson

    Mandeep Singh

    Alison McBlaine

    Katy Sprague

    Saskia Jones

    Lindsay de Feliz

    Marion Price

    Jolanta Jacubowska

    Kayleigh Dunning

    Nelly Myers

    Angela Tarver

    Amy Appleton

    Sandra Seagrove

    Frances Murray

    Vivienne Bryan

    Stacey Murray

    If you are worried about your relationship or that of a friend or family member, you can contact the Freephone 24-hour National Domestic Violence Helpline, run in partnership between Women’s Aid and Refuge, on 0808 2000 247 or visit www.womensaid.org.uk.

    Images: Getty

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