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