LONDON, UK — A recent survey conducted by Ipsos revealed that two-thirds of 115 bereaved families believed that the fatal attacks on their loved ones could have been prevented. The survey focused on families who had lost a family member to femicide and looked into their perceptions of the preventability of the attacks.

One of the survey respondents, Kimberley Seeger, was devastated by the loss of her sister, Gemma Marjoram, who had been murdered by her ex-partner, Michael Cowey. Seeger expressed her frustration, believing that there were “missed opportunities” to prevent the murder due to the emotional abuse Marjoram suffered, which was less visible than physical violence.

The Killed Women campaign released a report alongside the survey results, highlighting the commonality of preventable femicide cases. The report was published in conjunction with a vigil, where distraught relatives gathered to express their anger at the systemic failures around their loved ones’ deaths.

The report concluded that nearly four-fifths of respondents reported that at least one service knew about the abuse prior to the killing, indicating a failure to act on the warning signs. The families also felt that the prison sentences handed out to perpetrators were too short and did not adequately reflect the brutality of the murders or the impact on the bereaved family.

Yasmin Javed, who lost her daughter to femicide, emphasized the need for longer prison sentences and expressed her disappointment at the inadequate response from the police regarding the risks her daughter faced.

The families of the victims are calling for policy and action that focus on prevention and intervention to stop these tragic crimes from happening. They are also urging for a justice system that responds decisively to these acts of violence. The devastating impact of femicide is evident in the sentiments expressed by the families, as they continue to grapple with the profound loss of their loved ones.