A poignant exhibition featuring 150 pairs of blue-painted shoes has been unveiled in St John's Square, Blackpool, to draw attention to the tragic rise in domestic abuse-related suicides across the UK. Each pair of shoes symbolises an individual believed to have been driven to take their own life due to the actions of their partner, with the display organised by Fylde Coast Women's Aid.
The exhibition highlights alarming new figures from the National Police Chiefs' Council, which indicate that 150 people are suspected of taking their own lives after being victims of domestic violence in the year leading up to March 2025. This represents a significant increase from the 98 cases reported in the preceding 12 months, underscoring a growing crisis that campaigners say demands urgent legal reform.
The initiative is part of a broader campaign for 'Kiena's Law', which seeks to establish a specific criminal offence for domestic abuse-related suicide. This call for legislative change is inspired by cases like that of Kiena Dawes, who died in July 2022 following what a court later heard was two-and-a-half years of physical and emotional abuse. Her partner was found guilty of assault and controlling and coercive behaviour, receiving a six-and-a-half-year jail sentence.
Advocates, including Lancashire's police and crime commissioner, Clive Grunshaw, argue there is a critical gap in existing law. Mr Grunshaw stated that the exhibition is a "powerful reminder" of why this work is vital, stressing that while domestic abuse can have fatal consequences, the law often fails to reflect the full impact of sustained abuse on victims. He also noted increasing recognition of the link between prolonged domestic abuse, including coercive control, and suicide, urging the legal system to catch up with this reality.
Campaigners are also pushing for coercive and controlling behaviour to be classified within the "dangerous offender" framework, which would allow courts to impose extended sentences on perpetrators. This aligns with calls made after the 2018 death of Jessica Laverack, whose inquest concluded she had suffered domestic abuse, with the coroner urging the government to acknowledge the link between domestic abuse and suicide. Phyllis Daly, Jessica's mother, voiced strong support for criminalising this issue, emphasising that victims are not invisible and their families deserve justice.
Frank Mullane MBE, Chief Executive Officer of Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse, highlighted the complexity of these cases but insisted that complexity should not hinder justice. He stressed that families require answers and perpetrators must be held accountable when abuse contributes to such tragic outcomes. Kiena's mother, Angela Dawes, expressed full support for the petition, stating that Kiena herself wanted change for other victims and that the new law would help secure justice for those like her daughter.