Sons were suspects in nearly one in five cases of women killed by men in UK in past year

New data from the Femicide Census reveals a worrying rise in matricide cases across the UK, as MPs hear the names of 108 women killed by men in the past year.

Nearly one in five women killed by men in the UK over the past year were suspected victims of matricide, according to new figures recorded by the Femicide Census. The data suggests the highest rate of mothers killed by their sons in the last 16 years.

During a debate in Parliament marking International Women’s Day, Labour MP Jess Phillips read out the names of 108 women who were killed by men – or where a man has been charged – in the past 12 months.

For the 11th consecutive year, Phillips delivered the solemn reading in Parliament to highlight the scale of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the UK. The list took more than five minutes to read, requiring special permission for her to speak beyond the time normally allocated to MPs.

Violence Against Women a “National Shame”

Addressing fellow MPs, Phillips said violence against women and girls is happening in every part of the country.

“They are being attacked, abused, harassed and stalked at home, in public places, and online,” she said.

“The scale of violence against women and girls shames our society.”

Among the victims remembered were 19 mothers believed to have been killed by their sons, marking what could be the highest recorded rate of matricide since the Femicide Census began collecting data.

Calls for Better Oversight of Domestic Homicide Reviews

Phillips also announced that the Home Office will fund a new oversight mechanism to ensure recommendations from Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) are properly implemented.

Domestic abuse commissioner Nicole Jacobs previously warned that government oversight of these reviews is insufficient. DHRs are conducted whenever someone over the age of 16 is killed in a domestic setting.

“This is about turning lessons into action, not just letting those documents sit on a shelf in some local authority,” Jacobs said.

Experts Warn of Growing Matricide Problem

Clarrie O’Callaghan, co-founder of the Femicide Census, said the organisation has watched with concern as cases of matricide have increased.

She pointed to several contributing factors, including:

• Failures in mental health care
• Substance abuse problems
• Housing insecurity

In many cases, she said, men who killed their mothers had histories of abusive behaviour in previous relationships and moved back in with their mothers after those relationships ended.

Despite years of research, O’Callaghan said matricide has not been adequately recognised by government agencies.

“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 UK,” she said.

Long-Term Data Shows Scale of the Problem

Previous research has also highlighted the scale of the issue. A report by the Femicide Census found that more than 170 mothers were killed by their sons between 2009 and 2021.

The study showed that mental ill health was a factor in 58% of matricide cases.

Overall, nearly one in ten women killed by men in the UK over the past 15 years were mothers murdered by their sons.

Government Strategy and Funding

In December, the UK government published a new Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy, which includes plans to:

• tackle harmful behaviour among boys
• teach students about healthy relationships
• address the influence of pornography
• equip teachers with tools to intervene early

Women’s organisations welcomed the strategy as a milestone but warned that funding remains insufficient to achieve the government’s goal of halving violence against women and girls within the next decade.

The government says the strategy is backed by £1 billion in funding, including:

• £50 million for therapy support for child victims of sexual abuse
• £19 million for safe housing for domestic abuse survivors
• £550 million to support victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system

However, campaigners warn that specialist women-led charities remain at risk of closure due to lack of sustainable funding.

“Honor Them by Preventing Future Violence”

Closing her speech in Parliament, Phillips urged lawmakers to take stronger action to prevent further tragedies.

“May these women get the justice that they deserved,” she said.

“And may we honour them by preventing others from suffering the same fate.”