Police ‘determined’ to target abusers who drive women to suicide but say they lack of resources

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 5 min read 100% complete by Hannah Al-Othman North of England CorrespondentFebruary 17, 2026 at 07:00 AM

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The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) stated that police forces are working to improve investigations of domestic abusers who drive women to suicide, prompted by concerns that these cases are under-reported. Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe acknowledged that domestic abuse accounts for 20% of all crime, straining resources. Revised national guidance aims to address issues such as officers prematurely classifying deaths as suicide and overlooking potential evidence. Police forces have been urged to implement local review systems for unexpected deaths, similar to the system introduced by the Met after the Stephen Port case. The NPCC reports that more posthumous investigations are now taking place as a result of these changes.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Jonathon Russell 40% Katie Madden 40% Kiena Dawes 50% Ryan Wellings 50% Stephen Port 50% Scotland Yard 60% Metropolitan Police Service ×260% National Police Chiefs’ Council ×280% Louisa Rolfe ×590%

Keywords

domestic abuse 100% suicide 90% police 80% posthumous investigations 70% lack of resources 60% domestic abuse perpetrator 50% police response 50% national police chiefs’ council 50% local review system 40%

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Negative

Score: -0.40

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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domestic abuse suicide police posthumous investigations lack of resources domestic abuse perpetrator police response national police chiefs’ council local review system

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