Killed Women Group Urges Targets to Curb Femicide by Predatory Men
On Tuesday, victims' relatives demanded more action to end deadly male violence, and new research backed their demands for yearly objectives to reduce the number of women murdered by men, as well as education to combat sexist attitudes.
Killed Women, an advocacy organization, has released a report demanding "significant police and criminal justice reform" as well as increased measures by the National Health Service (NHS) and other public agencies to identify and apprehend would-be murderers.
It notes that many male murderers "had a long record of violence and abuse" before taking a woman's life and cautions that bereaved families are facing the "brutal consequences of inaction" due to inadequate preventative efforts.
The report goes on to say that the killer often abused the lady they murdered before taking her life, and it urges everyone to pay attention "on preventing these crimes before they happen."
The report was made public before an anticipated demonstration outside of Parliament, which was organized by supporters and the families of the victims carrying placards representing women who lost their lives to preventable male violations.
This comes after the Met and other police departments pledged to increase their efforts to combat violence against women by targeting male predators.
The study acknowledges the positive shift in "rhetoric" but stresses the importance of matching words with deeds.
“For centuries violence against women and girls was tolerated, seen as inevitable. It has been excused and deprioritized by successive governments, the police, the legal establishment, and society as a whole. Now we need policy to change,” it states.
"This report tells us what many of us knew in our hearts: the deaths and injustices our daughters, mothers, sisters, aunties, and loved ones have faced are not unavoidable tragedies," said Julie Devey, who heads the Killed Women advocacy group and is the mother of murder victim Poppy Devey Waterhouse.
"They are the result of a litany of failures from public bodies and negligent inaction from successive governments. The heartbreaking and shocking findings .. reinforce our commitment to push for action that will save women’s lives and ensure justice for victims – and make sure no other families have to suffer like ours have.”