Mothers killed by sons in 9% of femicide cases

Nearly one in 10 of all women who died at the hands of men in the UK over the past 15 years were mothers killed by their sons, a landmark report has revealed.

- Alexandra Topping Jessica Murray

Data analysing the deaths of all 2,000 women killed by men since 2009 has given an unprecedented insight into the hidden scourge of matricide, with more than 170 mothers killed by their sons.

The statistics have led to calls for the government to take specific action to tackle matricide, raise awareness of the risk of sons to mothers and provide support for victims.

The 2,000 Women report by the Femicide Census, seen by the Guardian, shows that mental ill health was a factor in 58% of matricide cases. Women were often left "paying the price" for state failures, said the campaign group's co-founder Karen Ingala Smith.

"Male violence against mothers is a largely unrecognised but brutal reality," she said. "What we see in these figures is the tip of the iceberg. These are the women who have been killed, but there will be many more hidden victims out there living their lives in absolute misery."

Experts said mental health problems and substance abuse, along with grown-up children spending longer living with their parents due to a lack of affordable housing, were some of the key factors behind the killings. Misogyny was also cited, with mothers sometimes considered to be a "safe space" for children to mete out violence.

Soon to be published research by Prof Rachel Condry and Dr Caroline Miles, from the universities of Oxford and Manchester, in collaboration with the Femicide Census, found that in cases of women being killed by their sons and grandsons from 2009-2021, 70% involved perpetrators with mental health issues. Despite this, there is no specific prevention policy for mothers who are caring for mentally ill sons, said Condry.