Press Reports
BBC News website / BBC TV News programmes, 30 November 2022
‘Violence against women: The families demanding change’, by Lucy Manning and Simon Lister. An article on the founding of Killed Women.
‘Families whose mums, sisters and daughters were killed by men are calling for changes to the way police and authorities deal with violence against women. They want changes to how killers are sentenced and to the way the NHS and social services respond. Three of those families have told BBC News how their loved ones were let down.’
‘Killed Women says it wants to raise awareness and promote policies to tackle fatal violence against women. The group is already backed by leading charities, as well as MPs from across the House of Commons.’
LBC, 11 April 2024
‘Domestic violence campaigner slams sentencing “disparity” and says male on female violence “not taken as seriously”’’, by Flaminia Luck
‘Carole Gould of Killed Women told LBC that male on male violence is being “taken more seriously” than male on female violence - after the killers of Holly Bramley, who was dismembered by her husband, and footballer Cody Fisher who was stabbed to death on a night out, were sentenced. On Monday, Holly’s killer was sentenced to a minimum of 19 years and 316 days, and Cody’s killers were sentenced to a minimum of 26 and 25 years respectively.
Carole said that currently those who kill their victims with a knife in the home face a 15-year sentencing starting point whilst sentences for those outside the home face at least 25. She said as women typically tend to be victims of domestic violence, the sentencing gap “devalues women’s lives”.
Daily Mail, 10 April 2024
‘The domestic abuse victims let down by police’, by Emily Jane Davies
‘Campaign groups have slammed the police for not taking Holly seriously when she went to them for help. Jhiselle Feanny, co-founder of the Killed Women group, said: “Killed Women is devastated to hear of the brutal murder of Holly, and our hearts break for her family and friends. It is deeply distressing to hear Holly had reached out to police for help. We know from our network members that too many bereaved families feel their lost loved ones were not listened to by police and services when they reported abuse and horrific acts of harm. They believe the police failed to intervene and protect before it was too late. We urgently demand improved police responses to domestic abuse, accountability for failures, and reforms to ensure perpetrators of violence face justice.”’
BBC Radio 4, Woman’s Hour, 26 March 2024
‘Killed Women Campaign: The campaign to raise the minimum sentence for perpetrators of domestic violence’, by Nuala McGovern
‘Should murderers who kill people at home face the same sentence as those who kill on the street?
Julie Devey of Killed Women, whose daughter Poppy was murdered, and Clare Ward KC, who led last year’s independent review into Domestic Homicide Sentencing, joined Nuala McGovern to discuss this.’
Times, 25 March 2024
‘Extend jail terms for domestic killers, says Brooke Kinsella’, by Lucy Bannerman
‘Brooke Kinsella has added her voice to the Killed Women campaign by three bereaved mothers, Carole Gould, Julie Devey and Elaine Newborough, whose daughters were stabbed to death by men who then received controversially short sentences.
“The aim of Ben’s Law was always to strengthen sentences for knife crime. But a crucial loophole has emerged. Most women murdered with knives are killed at home, and the current law fails to address this. In these cases, the perpetrator faces a much lower starting sentence of 15 years, compared to 25 years for someone who brings a knife specifically to commit murder. This inconsistency is unacceptable and the victims’ families are being denied the justice they deserve.”’
Guardian, 8 March 2024
‘Killed Women Count: A project highlighting the toll and tragedy of violence against women in the UK’, by Alexandra Topping, Rachel Hall and Mabel Banfield-Nwachi
‘Christine Bauld, Paramjit Gosal-Gill, Sam Varley, Claire Leveque, Michele Romano, Claudia Kambanza, Tara Kershaw, Kanticha Sukpengpanao, Alison McLaughlin, Maya Bracken, Tia Simmonds, Keotshepile Naso Isaacs.
Throughout 2024, the Guardian aims to report on every woman allegedly killed by a man, drawing on the work of campaigns such as Counting Dead Women, the Femicide Census and Killed Women.’
Good Morning Britain, ITV, 8 March 2024
Yasmin Javed of Killed Women made an extremely brave and moving appearance on Good Morning Britain (starts at 1:07:45) to talk about her daughter Fawziyah, who died after being pushed off Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh by her husband, and Channel 4’s documentary on her murder (‘The Push: Murder on the Cliff’), as well as Karma Nirvana’s campaign to end honour-based abuse.
Killed Women’s ‘Fallen Women’ campaign, which Yasmin is also supporting, aims to shine a spotlight on cases where women have fallen from height and calls for the deaths of all women that have happened in this way to be reviewed by police to identify whether domestic abuse may have been a feature.
Guardian, 4 March 2024
‘“Hidden homicides”: campaign calls for review of cases where women fell from height’, by Robyn Vinter
‘There could be as many as 130 “hidden homicides” a year in England and Wales, the Killed Women campaign group estimates, in which women were murdered by a partner or family member but their deaths were officially recorded as accidental or suicide. The new campaign, called Fallen Women, is also urging police forces to track the numbers of cases where a woman has fallen from a height and for domestic abuse to always be a key line of inquiry in the investigation process.’
The campaign opening coincided with the Channel 4 documentary ‘The Push: Murder on the Cliff’, which follows the case of Fawziyah Javed, who died after being pushed off Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh by her husband.
Also reported in the Independent, the Mirror, the Daily Record, Leeds Live, among others.
BBC Radio, World at One, 5 March 2024 (starts at 26:33)
On Monday 4th March, Killed Women launched ‘Fallen Women’, a campaign shining a spotlight on cases where women have fallen from height.
Sarah Montague on World At One spoke with Yasmin Javed of Killed Women, and Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner, about the campaign. Yasmin’s daughter Fawziyah was murdered by her husband when he pushed her off Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.
Killed Women is seeking justice for other women who may have been pushed, like Fawziyah, to their deaths.
Mirror, 4 March 2024
‘My sister was killed by a freed murderer - now we’re the ones facing a life sentence’, by Lydia Veljanovski
‘Sister of murdered Cherylee Shennan, Chiyvonne is now backing the Mirror’s Justice For Our Daughters campaign, calling for tougher sentences for domestic killers. Cherylee’s killer had murdered his previous partner Janine Waterworth in 1998, stabbing her 12 times. He had served just 14 years of his life sentence before being freed on licence in 2012, months before he met Cherylee.
Under current laws, a killer faces life, with a minimum of 25 years, if they take a weapon to the scene. The minimum drops to 15 years if the weapon is already there, as is the case in most male-on-female domestic killings. The campaign, backed by action group Killed Women, calls for a minimum term of 25 years regardless.’
Independent, 3 March 2024
‘Men have killed 350 women since Sarah Everard murder’, by Amy-Clare Martin
‘The figures, shared with The Independent by the Femicide Census, showed at least 350 women have died with a man responsible or a principal suspect since Ms Everard’s death on 3 March 2021. “That’s an average of one woman dead at the hands of a man every three days,” executive director Dr Karen Ingala Smith said.
Jhiselle Feanny, co-founder of Killed Women, a campaign group of families bereaved by male violence against women, described the latest figures as “devastating”. She said attacks on women were “preventable crimes” after a survey of bereaved families last year found almost seven in 10 believed their loved one’s death was preventable, while two-thirds said the killer had a prior history of violence.’
Channel 4 News, 29 February 2024
‘Families of women murdered by men demand change’, by Cathy Newman, Presenter, Channel 4 News
‘Sarah Everard was not the only woman murdered by a man to be remembered today.
In the House of Commons. MP Jess Philips read out a list of all the women killed by men in the last year. She was watched in the public gallery by relatives of women murdered in previous years.
We went to meet them.’
Cathy Newman on X: ‘These women are titans. They grieve and yet they campaign. And they won’t stop until they get change.’
ITV, Lorraine, 29 February 2024 (starts at 20:31)
‘Mums fighting for longer prison sentences’
Lorraine speaks to Julie Devey and Carole Gould about the violent and heartbreaking murders of their daughters, Poppy and Ellie, and their demand for justice when it comes to the sentencing of murderers who commit their crimes in the home.
A government consultation on murder sentencing, which has been undertaken as a direct result of their years of campaigning, closes on Monday 4th March: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/murder-sentencing/murder-sentencing-consultation
LalalaLetMeExplain podcast, 26 February 2024
‘Killed Women - The inadequate justice system and how you can help’
‘Why does stabbing someone on the street carry a lower minimum prison sentence than if you are stabbed in your home? Every week, two to three women are killed by their partner in the UK. In this powerful episode Lala tells the stories of women murdered by their partners and calls for action alongside the organisation Killed Women. It is a group set up by mothers of murdered daughters. They are advocating for improved sentencing and support systems.
Also, we hear from Julie Devey. Her daughter, Poppy, was stabbed to death by her former partner while asleep at home.’
Times, 23 February 2024
‘The grieving mothers fighting for longer sentences for domestic killers’, by Lucy Bannerman
‘Their daughters were murdered but because it happened at home a legal loophole means the men responsible could be released from jail ten years earlier than those who killed in the street. Had any of these young women been killed with a weapon that had been carried to the crime scene — or to put it another way, outside — their killers’ sentences would have started at 25 years. Had they been shot, it would have been 30 years. Instead, the sentencing starting point in each of these horrific cases was 15 years.
Carole Gould said: “These men are more dangerous than the youth who stabbed somebody once in the park. So why are their sentences ten years less?”’
Listen to the podcast: ‘Stories of Our Times - Her daughter was murdered. Why will the killer be released so soon?’
ITV Tonight - Murdered at Home, 22 February 2024
‘Between two and three women are murdered by a partner or ex-partner every week. Julie Etchingham explores the Government’s commitment to tackling violence against women.
If a woman is stabbed to death in the street by a stranger the starting sentencing point for murder is 25 years. Yet if a woman is stabbed and killed in her own home by her partner - it’s 15. So, why is there such a disparity? And is it any wonder some are campaigning for change?’
Julie Etchingham speaks to Julie Devey, Carole Gould and Elaine Newborough of Killed Women about their campaign.
The programme was also the subject of a report in the MailOnline.
ITV News and website, 21 February 2024
‘Mothers whose daughters were killed by past or current partners demand sentencing change’, by Julie Etchingham, Presenter, ITV News at Ten
‘The mothers of three young women who were all killed by past or current partners are demanding a change in the sentencing rules for fatal domestic attacks. As we gather in a kitchen around cups of tea, Elaine Newborough, Julie Devey and Carole Gould tell me about their beautiful young daughters: Megan, Poppy and Ellie. Daughters with everything to live for, until each was murdered by their partners or ex-partners in the most savage knife attacks imaginable. Ellie was just 17.
All thought their grief and trauma could not get any worse. Until they heard the sentences given to the men.’
Listen to the podcast: ‘ITV News - What You Need to Know: Why do domestic violence murderers get shorter sentences than other killers?’
Metro, 3 February 2024
‘My daughter ended a relationship with her boyfriend. He ended her life’, by Julie Devey, co-founder of Killed Women, as told to Emma Rossiter
‘My daughter’s killer was sentenced on 12 April 2019 to a minimum term of 15 years and 310 days. But for me it will never be enough. In the months that followed his sentencing I went through the motions, returning to work and ‘normality’ – as if my life would ever be normal again.
And gradually I dove back into the research surrounding sentences. I uncovered stories of other mothers like me who had lost a daughter to a domestic homicide – one such person was Carole Gould, whose daughter Ellie was murdered in 2019 by her ex-boyfriend Thomas Griffiths. Ellie’s story was so similar to Poppy’s – both had been ending a relationship, both had been stabbed with a knife, and both murderers had received a, in my opinion, pathetic sentence.
That needed to change. Determined to fight, Carole and I met up and agreed to try and make a change and so Killed Women was founded. Now, we are striving to change the law. ’
Mirror, 2 February 2024
‘Our lovely daughter kept diary of life goals - soon her killer will be freed’, by Lydia Veljanovski
‘Megan Newborough was murdered by her boyfriend in 2021, but her killer will spend less time behind bars because of a sentencing starting point which the Mirror hopes to change with our Justice for our Daughters campaign, [which] is urging readers to help end this disparity by having their say on the murder sentencing consultation which is open until March 4 on the Ministry of Justice website.
“It is an insult to victims,” says Elaine [Newborough]. “A life sentence doesn’t mean a life sentence. They will be able to get on with their lives but for us the clock stopped in 2021. He could go on to have a family and have everything she didn’t get. That’s why we’re supporting the Daily Mirror Justice for our Daughters campaign.”’
Mirror, 1 February 2024
‘Our daughters’ murderers got 10 year shorter sentences simply for where they killed them’, by Lydia Veljanovski
‘The Mirror is today launching a campaign – Justice for our Daughters – to help the bid to stop domestic violence killers being jailed for a decade less than other murderers.
Grieving mum Carole Gould said: “They’re basically saying our daughters’ lives aren’t worth as much as somebody being killed on the street.” Her 17-year-old daughter Ellie was murdered in her home in 2019 by her ex-boyfriend Thomas Griffiths…
Carole, from Wiltshire, co-founded action group Killed Women with another grieving mum Julie Devey. They are among those trying to force the Government to raise the minimum jail term for domestic murders.’
The Independent, 7 January 2024
‘Mother of teenager murdered by ex warns “end of a relationship is the most dangerous time in a woman’s life”. As knife crime against women and girls rises, Lydia Patrick talks to the families who have lost their loved ones to violent ex-partners.’
Carole Gould, co-founder of Killed Women, has relentlessly campaigned for justice for women killed by men since her daughter Ellie was stabbed and strangled to death by her partner of three months after she ended the relationship. Thomas Griffiths was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 and-a-half years in 2019 after he walked into Ellie’s family home, strangled her then stabbed her 13 times, attempting to frame the attack as a suicide by inserting the knife in the side of her neck.
Carole is hoping the government’s consultation on knife crime will address a legal loophole and allow for tougher sentences. As it stands, murderers who kill their victims with a knife in the home face a 15-year sentencing starting point whilst sentences for those outside the home face at least 25.
The Guardian, 6 December 2023
‘My daughter’s murder tore me apart. So does knowing that killings like hers are preventable’, by Julie Devey, co-founder and chair of Killed Women
Killed Women’s new report, YOU WERE TOLD: A Voice for Killed Women, based on a survey of over 100 bereaved families, shows that time after time, authorities fail to save women at risk and that our misogynistic systems need reform. ‘The report gives voice to the pain of bereaved families like mine and exposes the nature of extreme male violence. It shows how in a fifth of these killings, the children of the women were killed at the same time. It outlines the sheer scale of the violence used, with some victims stabbed hundreds of times and others mutilated. But it’s not just the scale of the pain and brutality that it reveals. It also provides real insight that policymakers have a duty to act on.’
ITV News and website, 5 December 2023
‘Mothers of murder victims protest outside Parliament calling for tougher sentences’, report by David Wood
‘The Killed Women group is campaigning for action, laws and policies that protect women from male violence and ensure justice for those whose lives were taken. The women gathered outside Parliament on Tuesday 5 December with more than 100 placards displaying messages from families who have lost loved ones due to male violence.’
“It’s really hard to keep going over and over it, but the force inside you, the injustice of it, and then meeting other families that have had other injustices, is just incredibly strong and wrong, and so you can’t sit back and be complicit.”
The event also marked the publication of Killed Women’s new report, YOU WERE TOLD: A Voice for Killed Women.
ITV News and website, 28 November 2023; and widespread national, local and online news outlets, including Sunday Times, Telegraph, Independent, Daily Mail
‘Campaigners have welcomed the start of the government consultation into toughening sentences for domestic violence cases.’ Following intensive campaigning by Killed Women co-founders, the Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk, has opened a consultation into the time served by murderers, overwhelmingly men, who kill their victims, who are overwhelming women, using a weapon that was already at the scene. The consultation will consider raising starting points for killings with a history of coercive and controlling abuse or with a weapon; and whether murderers who use a knife or another weapon already at the crime scene to kill should also face steeper starting points – a change that could result in higher minimum terms in these cases.
Alex Chalk: ‘I would like to thank Carole Gould and Julie Devey for their tireless campaign to drive reform in this area after the tragic deaths of their daughters, Ellie and Poppy, at the hands of their partners. Their courage and determination in the face of extraordinary suffering is inspiring.’
Little by little we are getting closer to delivering proper justice for Killed Women.
ITV News West Country and website, 10 October 2023
‘Families of women killed by their partners call for tougher restrictions on where murderers can live’, by Will Charley
The families of Julie Butcher and Ellie Gould, two women who were violently killed by their ex-partners, are calling for increased restrictions on where murderers can live on release from prison. Both perpetrators were handed life sentences and put behind bars - but the man who killed Julie has since been released. He initially returned to live near Julie's family, causing huge stress to her relatives. Ms King is now calling for a change to the law so that convicted murderers cannot live within 50 miles of their victims’ families when they are released from prison. She’s been joined by Ellie Gould’s mother, Carole, who still lives in Calne.
Killed Women’s Emma King and Carole Gould talk to ITV News.
Channel 5 News, 8 September 2023
Carole Gould, Elaine Newborough and Julie Devey of Killed Women spoke to Channel 5 News about their daughters, Ellie, Poppy and Megan, and their resolute campaigning for tougher - and fairer - minimum sentences for murders committed in the home.
Sunday Times, 3 September 2023
Sunday Morning with Kate McCann and Adam Boulton, Times Radio, 3 September 2023 (starts at 01:21:56)
‘Our daughters were murdered - why will their killers be released so soon?’, by Harry Yorke
‘In the wake of Lucy Letby’s horrific crimes, Rishi Sunak vowed to introduce tougher sentences for Britain’s most depraved killers, ensuring life really does mean life… For the mothers of Ellie Gould, Poppy Devey Waterhouse and Megan Newborough - three bright young women brutally murdered at home - his words rung hollow.
Far from spending their lives behind bars, the men who subjected Carole Gould, Julie Devey and Elaine Newborough’s daughters to unimaginable cruelty could walk free aged 30, 42 and 53. Collectively, they have been sentenced to a minimum of just 51-and-a-half years in prison. The reason? The women were murdered in their homes rather than on the street.’
ITV News, ITV West Country, 31 August 2023
‘“He’s living, our daughter isn’t”: Mothers call for longer jail time for killings at home’, by Stacey Foster
‘“He came into her life and destroyed it”: Mothers of murder victims call for tougher sentencing’, by Verity Wishart
‘Julie Devey and the mothers of two other murder victims have united in their call for tougher laws, after their daughters’ killers were given sentences that they felt were too lenient. Ellie Gould, Megan Newborough and Poppy Devey Waterhouse were all violently murdered in their homes.’
Julie Devey, Carole Gould and Elaine Newborough of Killed Women have written an open letter to the government: “These men are also the most despicable criminals and just plain evil like the ones you want to serve a whole life order, yet they never qualify for even an uplift to a minimum of a 25-year prison sentence under current laws. We need social change in the form of robust sentencing for all murders and a strong message that violence against women and girls will be treated with the utmost seriousness.”
BBC News website, Leicester, 5 August 2023
‘Megan Newborough’s parents call for tougher sentences’, by Sonia Kataria and Helen Astle
‘The parents of a woman who was murdered by her colleague are calling for tougher sentences for abusers. Megan Newborough, 23, was attacked and strangled by Ross McCullam at his Leicestershire home on 6 August 2021. The 30-year-old was jailed for at least 23 years in December, which Anthony and Elaine Newborough felt was lenient for a partner murdered at home. The couple claim there is a “huge disparity” in sentencing guidelines and want the law to be changed.
They have been working with Killed Women, which helps families of women killed by men. Co-founder Jhiselle Feanny claims there are “many legal loopholes” in the justice system. “We’re creating a society where male perpetrators in particular are able to understand how they can essentially get away with murder or have the most lenient sentences being passed towards them. It’s just a slap in the face for families.”’
BBC News website, Leicester, 12 July 2023
‘Megan Newborough: Murdered woman’s family aims to help other victims’, by Dan Martin
‘The family of a woman who was murdered by her colleague has launched a foundation in her name to help other victims of violence. Megan Newborough, 23, was strangled by Ross McCullam after the pair met at work and started a relationship… The Megan Newborough Foundation will raise money for organisations and charities supporting women who suffer violence’, including Killed Women and White Ribbon UK.
BBC Breakfast, 31 July 2023
Fiona Lamdin interviews Paul Ward and Karen Robinson, parents of Jade Ward
‘It is four years since Jade Ward was murdered by her estranged husband, but he automatically retains parental rights for their four children. Her parents, Paul Ward and Karen Robinson, are going to keep campaigning until that system is changed.’
As Anna Ryder, Director of Killed Women, says in the interview with the BBC’s Fiona Lamdin: “This is why this campaign is so crucially important: after you murder a woman, you should not have access to and control over their children’s lives.”
BBC Breakfast, 24 July 2023
Interviews with Fiona Lamdin
Families (just a few of so many more) coming together and campaigning: calling for new laws to be introduced to force convicted murderers to attend their sentencing hearings. A petition calling for this change has now received more than 22,000 signatures.
Working to make a change in sentencing: Cheryl Korbel - daughter Olivia; Ayse Hussein - cousin Jan; Sabrina & Eamonn - friend and sister Alish; Farah Naz - niece Zara.
BBC Radio Somerset, 24 July 2023
Interview with Claire Carter
Julie Devey, co-founder of Killed Women, spoke about the government’s announcement that it was looking at increasing sentences in cases of domestic homicide. Julie described the government proposals as ‘a very important step’. You can listen to the full interview here (starts at 2.07.54).
BBC Points West, 21 July 2023, and BBC Breakfast, 22 July 2023
Interview with Fiona Lamdin, BBC West Home Affairs correspondent:
‘I’m sat around the kitchen table where I’ve interviewed Carole Gould and Julie Devey many times. It’s the room where Carole’s 17-year-old daughter Ellie was brutally stabbed by her ex-boyfriend Thomas Griffiths as she revised for her A-levels. It’s impossible not to think about that.
But today, for the first time in four years of following their very painful journey, there’s a sense of real relief and hope. At last, they feel their campaigning is making a difference and they are hopeful a change in the law will follow. Both these mothers know it’s too late for them - too late to extend the sentences their daughters’ killers received. But they hope when it comes to parole, it may make a difference.’
The Guardian, 20 July 2023
‘People who murder ex-partners could face longer sentences’, by Alexandra Topping
‘Partners who murder at the end of a relationship could face longer sentences under a proposed overhaul of punishments for domestic murder. In a move welcomed by bereaved families who have fought for the law to be changed, the proposals announced on Thursday will seek to lengthen the prison sentences for abusers who kill by creating a new aggravating factor for murder at the end of a relationship.
“Murder is murder. Nobody has a right to take somebody else’s life. So why do we have these different sentencing starting points?” said Carole Gould, whose 17-year-old daughter Ellie was killed by another sixth-former the day after she ended their relationship in 2019. Gould who campaigns as part of Killed Women, a campaigning organisation led by families of women killed by men, added: “After five years of feeling like we’re getting nowhere, this feels like a big leap forward.”’
BBC News Wiltshire, 20 July 2023
‘Ellie Gould’s mother backs longer sentences for killers’, by Nathan Heath
‘The mother of a teenage girl whose "future was stolen" by her ex-boyfriend has backed the prospect of longer sentences for domestic murder. Ellie Gould, 17, was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife Thomas Grifiths at her home in Calne, Wiltshire, in 2019. He was jailed for 12-and-a half years but now ex-partners who kill following a break-up could face longer sentences.’
"This is a very important step towards justice," said Carole Gould. Ms Gould successfully campaigned for tougher sentences for teenage killers, known as Ellie's Law, and she joined the Killed Women campaign, which was launched to tackle male violence against women.
Mirror, 6 July 2023
‘Fathers who kill must be stripped of the right to be parents of their children’, by Ros Wynne Jones
‘Onjali Rauf received a phone call from the police the day her Auntie Ruma was murdered by her violent ex-husband.“We went straight to the house,” she says. “But the kids had already been taken straight from school into foster care.” “Children should be the lighthouse of the Victims’ Bill,” Onjali says. “But, currently, children’s voices are not being heard. Not even when they themselves are being harmed – or even killed – by the same perpetrator.”
Bereaved families’ group Killed Women is campaigning for the Victims and Prisoners Bill – currently going through Parliament – to change the law to remove parental responsibility from men convicted of parental homicide… This week Killed Women wrote to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to “urge the Government to use this moment to ease the suffering of families like ours.” The group said: “Unbelievably, if a father kills a mother, parental responsibility stays with that killer… These killers can use this power to continue the controlling and abusive behaviour they inflicted upon the woman they killed.”’
The Sun, 4 July 2023
‘KILLER DAD. My daughter was murdered by her evil ex but he has sinister hold over our family from jail… Jade’s Law would change that’, by Mike Ridley
‘Today, Killed Women… has written an open letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling for the law to be changed… Killed Women’s powerful letter tells how a killer’s ability to inflict further pain is not stopped even after their crime. The group is calling for Jade’s Law to be included in the Victims and Prisoners Bill, currently going through Parliament.’
‘Anna Ryder, director of Killed Women, said the open letter “makes clear” the anguish of bereaved children and families whose loved ones are brutally killed. She added: “The impact of domestic abuse and homicide on children is a shamefully ignored area of policy, currently little more than an afterthought. “This loophole in the law is a shocking example of that.”’
The Guardian, 29 June 2023
‘Home Office criticised over failure to tighten shotgun laws after Plymouth shooting’, by Steven Morris
‘Ministers have been strongly criticised by anti-gun campaigners for rejecting calls from bereaved families, senior police officers and a coroner to put extra controls on shotguns in response to the Plymouth mass shooting.
Emma Ambler, whose twin sister Kelly Fitzgibbons was shot dead by her partner alongside her daughters Ava, four, and Lexi, two, in 2020, said she was shocked at the government’s response.’
ITV News and website, 15 May 2023
‘“Heartbroken” twin of mother shot dead by partner in Woodmancote calls for gun reform’, by Chloe Oliver
In an interview for ITV News, Killed Women member Emma Ambler opens up about the campaigning she’s doing in honour of her twin sister, Kelly Fitzgibbons.
BBC News website Wiltshire, 28 April 2023
‘Swindon charity sends families with trauma on holiday’, by Fiona Lamdin
‘The Swindon Sisters Alliance was set up by [Killed Women member] Emma King in 2020, after her sister Julie Butcher was murdered by her estranged husband. She hoped her experiences of grief and trauma might help others. With the money it raises through charity shops in Swindon, it has sent families on holiday to get away from abusive situations.’
Newham Recorder, 19 April 2023
‘Mihrican Mustafa: Murder victim's cousin blasts Met Police’, by Charles Thomson
Killed Women’s Ayse Huseyin explains how the Met Police did not thoroughly investigate the disappearance of her cousin Mihrican Mustafa, who was missing for almost a year before her body was discovered: “I think it was race, misogyny and victim-blaming”… Ayse, who now helps other bereaved families, said she was motivated to speak out by Baroness Casey branding the Met Police institutionally racist and sexist.’
BBC Newsnight, 18 April 2023
Julie Devey and Carole Gould of Killed Women spoke movingly and compellingly to Victoria Derbyshire on Newsnight about the murders of their daughters Poppy and Ellie, and their campaigning to change ‘the immoral disparity in sentencing’ between domestic homicides and other murders. (starts at 16.46)
Mirror, 6 April 2023; SomersetLive website, 8 April 2023
‘Our daughters were stabbed to death by their exes - new laws aren’t enough’, by Ben Barry & Saffron Otter; ‘Mums of South West murder victims say new sentencing laws not enough’, by Ben Barry and Stephen D’Albiac
Carole Gould and Julie Devey of Killed Women, ‘whose daughters were murdered by their ex-partners, say new coercive control laws aren't enough - and argue that all killers who use force should face at least 25 years in prison… The mums welcomed the new laws - but said they don't go far enough, and want the 25-year minimum for all overkill and strangulation murders too, regardless of whether a weapon is taken to the scene… Julie said: “To have overkill as an aggravating factor, unless it will be worth years and years - it just isn't worth the paper it is written on. These sentences have to start reflecting the viciousness of what these women go through and then the families.” Carole and Julie both believe that their daughters were “let down”.’
Sky News, The Take with Sophy Ridge, 29 March 2023
Sophy Ridge invited Killed Women’s Carole Gould back to give her take on the proposal by Dominic Raab, revealed in his letter to MPs, that adding ‘overkill’ as a statutory aggravating factor in cases of domestic homicide will only result in sentences increasing by as little as two years. ‘It diminishes the crime and it is insulting to women. Domestic murders are not taken with the seriousness they deserve,’ says Carole as she details the difference in sentencing for murders in the home compared to those in public. ‘It’s heartbreaking.’
Independent, Evening Standard, MailOnline, Express and Star, 26 March 2023
National and local press coverage after the appearance of Carole Gould of Killed Women on Sky News Sophy Ridge on Sunday.
‘Mother of murdered teenager Ellie Gould calls for “25-year starting point for overkill”’’
‘And, as a result of this Clare Wade review, we’re hoping to push through much tougher sentencing, and what I’d be saying to the Government now and (Justice Secretary) Dominic Raab is “You’ve not quite cut it yet” – just offering aggravating factors for overkill and for coercive controlling behaviour is not going to level up the sentencing.’
Sky News: website and Sophy Ridge on Sunday, 26 March 2023 (starts at 43:40)
‘Mother of murdered teenager Ellie Gould wants tougher sentences for overkill and strangulation’
‘[Mrs Gould] said the government's plans do not go far enough. “What we want and we will be asking [Justice] Minister [Edward] Argar to consult on is a 25-year starting point for overkill and for strangulation because we have to remember that this is very much gendered violence, and it’s just not being recognised in the courts how dangerous these perpetrators are.”’
Conservative MP Laura Farris, who appeared on the programme alongside Carole, noted that ‘Carole has led an incredible campaign on improving justice outcomes as part of the Killed Women project which launched last year.’
BBC Breakfast; BBC News, Birmingham and Black Country, 22 March 2023
‘Kelly Fitzgibbons: Gun victim’s twin to be consulted in review’, by Kathryn Stanczyszyn
After meeting with the Home Office, Killed Women founder-member Emma Ambler went on BBC Breakfast to talk about her campaigning (kellyfitzgibbonsfoundation.org) for tougher laws on gun ownership in the UK since her twin sister, Kelly Fitzgibbons, was shot and killed, along with her nieces Ava and Lexi, in March 2020. The journalist who authored the report, Kathyrn Stanczyszyn, also wrote it up for the BBC News website and for her radio programme on BBC Radio WM.
ITV News, 22 March 2023
‘Family of missing woman who was found dead in a freezer were “ignored by the Met Police”’
The damning Casey report on the Metropolitan Police has found racism, misogyny and homophobia. Killed Women network member Ayse Huseyin explains to reporter John Ray how the family were ignored by the force for a year after reporting her cousin Jan Mustafa missing. Her body was later found in a fridge, in the home of a known sex offender.
The Telegraph, 21 March 2023
‘Family of woman who was found in freezer year after disappearance say police never apologised’, by Will Bolton
Ayse Huseyin of Killed Women, whose cousin Mihrican ‘Jan’ Mustafa, was murdered by Zahid Younis in 2018, but whose body was only found a year after she was first reported missing by the family, has claimed the Met still hasn’t apologised for failing to take the disappearance seriously.
Mail Online, 21 March 2023: ‘‘They are gambling with people’s lives”: Cousin of murdered mother-of-three who was found in a sex offender’s freezer slams Met Police for not taking her disappearance seriously enough’, by Olivia Jones
The Sun, 21 March 2023: ‘Our Agony. My cousin was found dead in psycho’s freezer - cops missed chances to catch double killer after not taking us seriously’, by Holly Christodoulou
Mirror, 21 March 2023: ‘Met Police: Family of murdered mum says she may still be alive if cops took report seriously’, by Katie Weston
Express, 22 March 2023: ‘Family of murdered mum blasts Metropolitan Police for “not taking her seriously”’, by Katie Weston, Bradley Jolly
National press coverage of Killed Women’s Ayse Huseyin after the Casey Review of the Metropolitan Police.
Channel 5 News, 21 March 2023 (starts at 3:30)
‘Met Police is “institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic”, review finds.’
The review by Baroness Louise Casey, who spent a year investigating the Met Police in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard by Couzens, said it is “institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic” and may have more officers like killer Wayne Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick... Most of all, says Baroness Casey, women and children have been failed by the Met.’ Killed Women member Ayse Huseyin talks about the Met’s handling of her cousin’s disappearance: ‘They don’t know how to look after vulnerable women. They have never said sorry. They have never admitted they were wrong.’
BBC Radio 4, Today, 17 March 2023
Clare Wade KC and Killed Women co-founder Carole Gould discuss the government's proposed changes to sentencing in cases of domestic homicide on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, subsequent to the publication of Wade’s independent Domestic Homicide Sentencing Review (starts at 1:32:03).
BBC Breakfast, 17 March 2023
As one of the main items on the programme (with four separate reports and interviews, one of which can be viewed here), Killed Women co-founders Carole Gould and Julie Devey discuss the recommendations made by the Wade Report and their partial satisfaction with the government’s interim response.
ITV News / ITV News website, 17 March 2023
‘Domestic killers with history of coercive behaviour face tougher sentences’, by Martha Fairlie
‘The law will be changed after recommendations made by Clare Wade KC in an independent review into domestic homicide sentencing… Carole Gould and Julie Devey, who co-founded the campaigning organisation Killed Women, said in a joint statement: “After years of campaigning, we welcome the government’s announcements today, but they must be just the start of the root-and-branch reform that is needed to ensure killers of women face sentences that reflect the cruelty and brutality of their crimes.”’
BBC Radio 5 Live, Stephen Nolan, 17 March 2023
Two days before Mother's Day, Julie Devey speaks candidly and devastatingly to Stephen Nolan on Radio 5 Live about how her daughter - and Killed Woman - Poppy was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, and about her reaction to the government's response to the Wade Review, which was commissioned as a direct result of her campaigning together with Carole Gould (starts at 1:05:50).
BBC Points West, 17 March 2023
‘Killers who use excessive violence could face tougher prison sentences following a long campaign by two West Country mothers, Carole Gould and Julie Devey… The Mums have been giving their reaction to our Social Affairs Correspondent Fiona Lamdin.’
Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland, who commissioned the sentencing review authored by Clare Wade KC as a result of their campaigning, is also interviewed.
BBC News website, 17 March 2023
‘Killers with history of coercive behaviour face tougher sentences’, by Doug Faulkner
‘Murderers with a history of coercive behaviour towards their victims or who use extreme violence could face tougher sentences under new government plans. As part of the proposals, judges would have to consider these as aggravating factors when jailing killers. Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said this would mean “longer jail sentences for those who kill women in the home”… Carole Gould and Julie Devey, whose daughters were both murdered by ex-partners, welcomed the changes but told the BBC they would wait to see what weight the aggravating factors were actually given in court.’
ITV West Country / ITV West Country website, 17 March 2023
‘Domestic killers to get tougher sentences after campaign from murder victims’ mothers. ITV West Country sits down with Carole Gould.’
‘The Government has announced new sentencing guidelines for domestic murders to include longer sentences for killers who have a history of coercive or controlling behaviour and murderers who use excessive violence. The changes come after an independent review of sentencing and following a campaign by two West Country mothers whose daughters were killed by abusive former boyfriends. They have united to push for tougher sentences.’
Channel 5 News, 17 March 2023
‘Plans to give killers tougher sentences have been revealed by the Ministry of Justice’
Reporter Ruth Liptrot interviews Carole Gould and Julie Devey of Killed Women. “We live with the life sentences”.
Sky News, 17 March 2023
‘Domestic killers with history of coercive or controlling behaviour face tougher sentences’, by Alexandra Rogers
‘The government commissioned Ms Wade’s review following the murders of Poppy Devey Waterhouse, 24, and Ellie Gould, 17, who were both stabbed to death in 2018 and 2019, respectively… Following their deaths, the mothers of Ms Devey Waterhouse and Ms Gould both campaigned to have the law changed so that killers who use murder weapons that are already at the crime scene receive longer jail terms.’
LBC Radio, Shelagh Fogarty, 17 March 2023
Killed Women co-founders Carole Gould and Julie Devey talk to Shelagh Fogarty about their murdered daughters, Poppy and Ellie, their thoughts on the Wade review and the government’s initial response to it. Interview starts at 1:03:09.
Glamour, 17 March 2023
‘Murderers with a history of coercive behaviour to face tougher jail sentences, so what is coercive control?’, by Laura Hampson
‘Recommendations from leading criminal barrister, Clare Wade KC, were the catalyst for the change, as she was asked by the government to carry out an independent review into domestic homicide sentencing. The review was commissioned following the murders of 24-year-old Poppy Devey Waterhouse and 17-year-old Ellie Gould who were both murdered in 2018 and 2019 respectively... Poppy and Ellie’s mothers, Julie Devey and Carole Gould, were among family members of women killed by men to launch Killed Women. The organisation seeks to force change around domestic abuse and coercive control.’
The Guardian, 17 March 2023
‘Dominic Raab to push for tougher minimum sentence in domestic homicides’, by Alexandra Topping
‘Gould, who campaigns with Killed Women along with Devey, whose daughter Poppy, 24, was stabbed 49 times in 2018, said they would call for killings where overkill was a feature to have a starting sentence of 25 years… The justice minister, Edward Argar, paid tribute to Devey and Gould, who he said had “campaigned bravely and tirelessly” after the killing of their daughters. No one should ever feel unsafe in their own home, and we will continue working with Julie and Carole and others to make further progress in tackling the dreadful crime of domestic abuse,” he said.’
The Telegraph, 17 March 2023
‘Domestic abusers who kill their partners to face tougher sentences’, by Charles Hymas
‘Campaigners highlighted case of Poppy Waterhouse, 24, whose ex-boyfriend inflicted more than 100 injuries but was jailed for just 16 years… Carole Gould and Julie Devey, who co-founded the campaigning organisation Killed Women after the deaths of their daughters, welcomed the Government moves but said: “They must be just the start of the root-and-branch reform that is needed to ensure killers of women face sentences that reflect the cruelty and brutality of their crimes.”’
Take a Break, 16 March 2023
‘Our Lives: The Wedding Day Warning’, by Killed Women network member Nour Norris
‘I’d never liked my niece’s husband, but I was shocked when she told me the secret he’d been hiding. Little did I know, he was capable of much worse.’ Nour recounts the story of the murders of her sister and niece, and the failings of the police. ‘When the jury-inquest began, West Midlands Police were found responsible for multiple failings, including not safeguarding Raneem, nor conducting a proper risk assessment. Incidents had been treated as one-offs, and a total of 36 officers hadn’t logged Raneem’s cries for help. My sister and niece had been failed. The pain of losing my big sister and my beautiful niece will never go away, but I’ll do all I can to protect other women.’
BBC News, 14 March 2023
Home Affairs correspondent June Kelly reports on the reaction to the figures released by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which revealed that more than 1,500 police officers were accused of violence against women and girls in the space of just six months in England and Wales, and that fewer than 1 in 10 complaints resulted in any action being taken. In the West Midlands, she talks to Nour Norris of Killed Women, who has been campaigning for a better police response since her sister Khawla and niece Raneem were murdered by Raneem’s estranged husband. (Starts at 3:00)
BBC Radio 4, Today, 9 March 2023
Killed Women co-founder Julie Devey is interviewed by Nick Robinson on Radio 4's Today programme (starts at 2:35:30).
‘Today in Parliament MPs will listen as a long list of names is read out. They’re the names of women killed by men in the past year. The organisation with a stark name, Killed Women, argues that many of these deaths were preventable.’
BBC West Midlands, 9 March 2023
Among the members of Killed Women standing in the gallery of the House of Commons while Jess Phillips read out the names of the 108 women killed by men in the last year was Nour Norris from Solihull, whose sister and niece were murdered in 2018.
BBC West Midlands interviewed Nour afterwards. ‘At the end of last year Nour became a founder member of the national group Killed Women, set up to try and force changes in the law, including on sentencing, where domestic killers often get shorter tariffs.’
The Sun, 9 March 2023
‘NEVER FORGOTTEN. Heart-breaking moment Commons falls silent as MP reads names of every woman killed by a man last year’, by Natasha Clark
‘The Commons fell silent today as Jess Phillips MP read out the names of every woman killed by a man in the last year. The heart-breaking moment came as MPs gathered to mark International Women’s Day.’
‘Julie Devey, who co-founded the campaigning organisation Killed Women, said today she and fellow bereaved families will never give up demanding more action from ministers to help save lives.’
Mirror, 9 March 2023
‘Silence as MP Jess Phillips reads names of 108 women killed by men in UK - full list’, by Sophie Huskisson and Dave Burke
‘The Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding marked International Women's Day by reading a list of all the women who were killed where the primary suspect or known killer is a man since this time last year.’
‘Ms Phillips closed her speech with a powerful call to action, as she said: “The families of the Killed Women Campaign who join us here today would want me to make clear that lessons are not being learned. Warm words are no longer enough.”’
The Independent, 9 March 2023
‘Bereaved families gather to listen to names of women killed in past year’, by Aine Fox
‘The group Killed Women was launched in 2022 and is made up of a number of bereaved families of women killed by men. The network, representing victims of crimes that span four decades, is calling for an “end to the ‘culture of gross negligence’ that has led to a woman being killed every three days”. The group said there have been a “litany of failures from public bodies and services and negligent inaction from successive governments”.’
The Guardian, 9 March 2023
‘Jess Phillips reads to MPs list of women killed over past year’, by Alexandra Topping
‘Bereaved families, including the newly formed group Killed Women, reacted angrily to the fact that just three male MPs were present for the reading of the names a day after International Women’s Day. Julie Devey, a co-founder of Killed Women, said she and other families in the group had stood as the names were read out to show solidarity to the women killed, and their families.’
Mail Online, 27 February 2023
‘Tragedy of sisters who inspired change in Britain’s marriage laws’, by Tom Cotterill
‘Payzee Mahmod was forced to marry a ‘balding man’ twice her age when she was just 16. Her sister, Banaz, was savagely killed in 2006 after she left her forced marriage.’ Following years of campaigning by Payzee, a founder member of the new Killed Women network, ‘a new law now means that such forced childhood weddings could never happen. She described new laws increasing the legal age of marriage to 18 as “one of the most important days” of her life… From today, a new law has upped the minimum age of marriage from 16 to 18 in England and Wales in a move the Government said would safeguard children from forced marriages. And, in a toughening up of legislative powers, it is now illegal to arrange for children to marry under any circumstances, whether or not force is used - news which an emotional Ms Mahmod said was a “celebratory moment” in her quest for change.’
Grazia, 6 February 2023
‘Every three days another woman is murdered’, by Lauren Crosby Medlicott
‘Now bereaved families, united in grief, have launched the Killed Women campaign to prevent more senseless deaths.’
‘Bekhal Mahmood, also part of Killed Women, says the campaign will “increase an understanding of what more can be done by agencies like the police and social services” and provide “encouragement for women facing abuse to seek help before it’s too late”.’
Stylist, February 2022
‘11 bereaved families launch Killed Women campaign in an attempt to stop violence against women and girls’, by Leah Sinclair
‘Eleven bereaved families have come together to launch Killed Women, a campaign organisation and network for bereaved families who have lost daughters, mothers, sisters or other relatives to male violence. The network has a range of policy demands that they’re campaigning to change, which includes better education about domestic abuse and coercive control to improve the support and rights of the families left behind.’
BBC News website, Birmingham, 2 January 2023
‘Aston shooting victim Letisha Shakespeare’s mum continues campaign 20 years on’, by Peter Wilson
‘Twenty years ago, two teenage girls were killed as they stood outside a new year party. The killings of Letisha Shakespeare and Charlene Ellis sent shockwaves through the city of Birmingham and beyond, and led their families to dedicate themselves to campaigning against gun and gang crime.’
Letisha’s mother and Killed Women founder-member Dr Marcia Shakespeare MBE said she still could not believe two teenage girls could be killed by gunmen armed with a Mac-10 sub-machine gun. Since then, she has been campaigning - first for justice for the girls, and then against violent crime.
Mirror, 3 December 2022
‘Police have “blood on hands” over mum and daughter’s murders after FOURTEEN 999 calls’, by Laura Connor
Nour Norris, one of the founder-members of Killed Women, ‘has launched a new campaign, backed by Labour MP Jess Phillips, calling on all police to be better educated on domestic violence after the shocking double murder of her sister and niece.’
‘Nour wants to see a culture change at all levels of policing.’
The Guardian, 1 December 2022
‘Families of women killed by men unite to demand change’, by Alexandra Topping
‘Carole Gould and Julie Devey want to change sentencing in the wake of the killings of their daughters, Ellie Gould and Poppy Devey Waterhouse.’
‘The collective voice of Killed Women will be difficult to ignore, said Emma Ambler, who has been fighting for stricter laws around gun licences since her sister and her nieces were killed.’
Daily Express, 30 November 2022
‘New campaign to end “culture of gross negligence” to male violence’, by John Twomey
‘Families of women killed by men have launched a new campaign group to urge the authorities to end a “culture of gross negligence” to male violence.’
‘Killed Women aims to promote laws and policies to prevent the epidemic of murder which claims the life of a female victim every three days. The new group will also campaign to ensure justice for victims and improve support for bereaved relatives.’
Mirror, 30 November 2022
‘Grieving families torn apart by male violence launch campaign to prevent more women dying’, by Amy-Claire Martin
‘The new Killed Women campaign group is made up of 11 grieving families who have all lost female loved ones to domestic male violence. They are demanding better laws and policies to help prevent future deaths.’
‘Ruth Davison, CEO of charity Refuge, added: “The voices of those bereaved by male violence deserve to be heard. Their frustration and pain should galvanise policy makers. Killed Women will be a powerful force for change.”’
Times Radio, 29 November 2022
‘It’s time for police to “give a damn” about domestic abuse.’
An inquest has found West Midlands Police failures contributed to the murder of Nour Norris’ sister, Khawla Saleem, and niece, Raneem Oudeh, by their abuser. She and women’s rights campaigner Julie Bindel tell Times Radio why the police need to ‘give a damn when it comes to lives being at risk.’ ‘Clearly, domestic abuse in this country is being dismissed. Full stop.’
ITV News, 14 November 2022
‘Mum of woman murdered by jealous ex renews fight for tougher sentences’, by Caron Bell
Shortly before co-founding Killed Women, Julie Devey and Carole Gould ‘renew their campaign to get domestic murder sentences increased… Partly in response to the mothers’ campaign, the then-Justice Secretary Robert Buckland launched a Sentencing Review last year. It was originally due for completion in December 2021 but they are still waiting to see its findings. “The whole process has been excruciating, how long it’s taken,” Julie said... The current Justice Secretary, Dominic Raab, says members of his team will meet Julie and Carole in early 2023 to discuss the review before its findings are made public.’
