Failing families twice—what about those left behind after murder?
Dr Morag Kennedy, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice, shares why the findings of the Angiolini Inquiry do not go far enough for families of murder victims. His new book is titled "Learning from Victims' Family Narratives: The Impact of Offline and Online Harm in Cases of Intimate Partner Homicide."
The Angiolini Inquiry begins with a commentary from Sarah Everard's mother, Susan, about the impact of her murder on their family. However, it makes no other meaningful links to families of victims, except stating that the "impact on victims and their families affected…cannot be underestimated." So where are the families in this narrative? And what support is provided for them?
While the Angiolini Inquiry is a step forward in terms of recognizing sexually motivated crimes against women in public spaces following the murder of Sarah Everard, there is a distinct lack of recognition of bereaved family and friends—what we term co-victims—left behind after tragic circumstances.
My research highlights the complete lack of support for co-victims or families of victims who have been bereaved by homicide.
To give an estimate of the number of people this impacts, around 6 to 10 family members are likely to be affected by a homicide, including countless others such as friends, colleagues and neighbors. Given the estimates of domestic abuse in the U.K., this is likely to affect one in four families.
Homicide has far-reaching consequences, with many families taking on additional caring responsibilities where children are concerned. In addition, there can be significant psychological implications with families experiencing depression, aggression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
Legal and financial ramifications are also reported, in addition to "survivor's guilt," which is common among family members. The criminal justice process complicates the grieving process with families often pausing their grief until after the system's involvement comes to an end. This is all lost in translation in terms of the Angiolini Inquiry.
The approximate annual cost of homicide to the UK is more than £2.5 billion. This figure includes the costs of police investigations, legal processing, and long-term incarceration for those convicted. But what about support for co-victims or bereaved families?
In previous research, conducted with Megan Cadwallader, it was apparent that many parents of victims were:
- expected to find their own support,
- that "support" offered was inadequate and
- that they felt neglected by support service providers.
One poignant comment from Sally (anonymized participant) highlighted the lack of specialized support for family members whose loved one had been killed: "I've been told I'm too complex to help, I'm too difficult to help…"
Having been awarded a Policy Fellowship with Nottingham Civic Exchange at Nottingham Trent University this year, I am now looking to see what I can do in terms of support for co-victims or bereaved families across the UK.
Provided by Nottingham Trent University
