Close
  1. Home
  2. Uncategorized
  3. Harshita Brella’s Death Should Have Been Prevented — Why Are Women Still Dying After Reporting Abuse?

Harshita Brella’s Death Should Have Been Prevented — Why Are Women Still Dying After Reporting Abuse?

  • AuthorPosted byadmin
  • Published
  • Updated10:38
Posted by admin on 10:25. Updated: 10:38
A blurred image of a woman in a white dress standing outdoors, overlaid with bold white text reading “Who Failed Harshita Brella?” — symbolising the unanswered questions around her death and the urgent call for stronger domestic abuse protections in the UK.

Raising awareness about Harshita Brella’s tragic death; a powerful reminder of the systemic failures that continue to put women at risk of domestic abuse in Britain.

Every day across England and Wales, women report threats, coercion and violence, and too often the system moves too slowly to keep them safe. Domestic abuse is common, harmful, and crucially, preventable. This post sets out the scale of the problem, what keeps going wrong, and the concrete changes we’re calling for so women and children aren’t left waiting for safety.

The scale: abuse is widespread, while justice lags

  • An estimated 2.3 million people (age 16+) experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2024, a prevalence rate of 4.8%. Women are disproportionately affected. Office for National Statistics
  • Police recorded ~890,000 domestic-abuse-related crimes in YE March 2023, yet prosecutions fell to 51,288 in the same period, illustrating the attrition from report to charge to court. Office for National Statistics
  • Fewer than 1 in 5 victims/survivors report to the police at all; among reasons for non-reporting are low confidence that anything will be done. GOV.UK

Recent cases show what’s at stake

  • Harshita Brella, 24, moved to the UK after her marriage and sought help for abuse before she was killed in 2024; her husband has since been charged with murder and controlling/coercive behaviour. The police watchdog has served notices to officers over the handling of the case. The Guardian+1
  • In Oldbury (West Midlands) this month, Lily Whitehouse, 19, died after being found with serious injuries; a 41-year-old man has been charged with murder. Police say he was known to her. Investigations continue. BBC News+1

These are not isolated tragedies; they are warning flares about response speed, risk assessment, and follow-through when women reach out.

Where the system is still failing women

  1. Delays and gaps in disclosure (“Clare’s Law”)
    Clare’s Law (the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, DVDS) gives a “Right to Ask/Know” about a partner’s history. But investigations and practitioners report long delays and inconsistent decisions, blunting its protective power. Survivors have waited months for answers. We need the scheme to work to pre-empt harm, not to document it afterwards. Office for National Statistics+2Today’s Family Lawyer+2
  2. Slow charging timelines & case attrition
    CPS data show average charging times in 2023/24 were lengthy, with large proportions of cases stuck “pending further investigation”. Survivors are left in limbo while risk escalates. Crown Prosecution Service
  3. Risk assessment tools under scrutiny
    The DASH risk tool that often determines who gets “high-risk” safety measures is under review; the safeguarding minister has publicly questioned whether it “works”. When risk is misclassified as “medium”, women can miss out on life-saving protections. Reuters
  4. Capacity strains in specialist services
    Women’s Aid’s 2024 audit shows specialist services operating at or beyond capacity, limiting refuge spaces, advocacy time and community support—especially acute for women with children, disabled women, and migrant women. Women’s Aid+1
  5. Policing VAWG needs consistent improvement
    HMICFRS inspections have documented variable police responses to VAWG, despite progress. Survivors still report not being believed, slow evidence-gathering, and inconsistent safeguarding. assets-hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk+1
  6. Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) repeat the same lessons
    National DHR analyses keep highlighting missed opportunities, poor information-sharing, and slow protective action prior to homicides—patterns we must break. GOV.UK+1

What needs to change—now

1) Make Clare’s Law fast, consistent and survivor-centred

  • Introduce national time limits (with a same-day emergency route) for DVDS decisions, plus clear status updates to applicants.
  • Publish force-level performance data on timeliness and disclosure rates.
  • Ensure disclosures are paired with a safety plan (IDVA referral, tech-safety guidance, safe accommodation routes). Office for National Statistics

2) Cut the time to charge

  • Set and monitor targets for CPS and police to shorten charging decisions in DA cases; expand early advice pathways that have been shown to alter timelines. Crown Prosecution Service

3) Overhaul risk identification & escalation

  • Complete the national review of DASH and implement an evidence-based replacement or major upgrade, with training and auditing so risk is dynamic, not a one-off tick-box.
  • Guarantee MARAC access and quality for any case with escalating harm, coercive control, or stalking behaviours, even if the DASH score is borderline. Evidence shows coordinated MARAC action can cut repeat violence significantly. Reuters+2Standing Together+2

4) Fund specialist women’s services to capacity

  • Multi-year commissioning for refuges, IDVA/ISVA services and community support so survivors aren’t turned away. Women’s Aid data show sustained over-capacity pressure. Women’s Aid+1

5) Treat VAWG as core policing work

  • Embed VAWG “gold standards” across forces (specialist units, evidence-led cases, tech-abuse capability, perpetrator management), tracked in HMICFRS’s public dashboards. hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk

6) Learn—then act—from every DHR

  • Mandate cross-agency action plans from DHR findings with public progress reports; focus on information-sharing, proactive arrest for breaches, and rapid safeguarding when victims disengage (often due to fear). GOV.UK

What Contento Social Homes is doing (and how you can help)

Our campaign A Home for Every Woman Survivor focuses on the dangerous “move-on” gap—when women leave crisis refuge but can’t secure safe, stable housing. We:

  • Provide and broker safe accommodation and wrap-around support.
  • Work with partners to fast-track benefits and housing so safety doesn’t collapse for want of a tenancy.
  • Advocate for faster disclosures, faster charging, and better risk management, using cases like Harshita Brella’s to demand reform with compassion and urgency. The Guardian+1

How to support: become a CSR partner or social investor, donate to expand refuge/move-on capacity, or volunteer professional skills. (Ask us how your organisation can help.)

If you’re worried about your safety (or someone else’s)

  • Call 999 in an emergency.
  • National Domestic Abuse Helpline (Refuge): 0808 2000 247 – 24/7 confidential support. Refuge
  • Ask the police about Clare’s Law (DVDS) if you’re concerned about a partner’s history; request an emergency disclosure if risk is immediate. Office for National Statistics
  • High-risk cases should be referred to MARAC for a coordinated safety plan; professionals can escalate. Standing Together

Our call to action to policymakers and agencies

  1. National service standard for Clare’s Law (including an emergency, same-day route and clear applicant updates). Office for National Statistics
  2. Time-bound charging targets and joint CPS-police dashboards specific to domestic abuse. Crown Prosecution Service
  3. Replace/upgrade DASH with an evidence-based, dynamic risk model; fund mandatory training and independent auditing. Reuters
  4. Guaranteed MARAC access when risk escalates; publish MARAC effectiveness data locally. Standing Together
  5. Stabilise funding for specialist women’s services to meet actual demand. Women’s Aid
  6. Implement DHR lessons with transparent progress reporting across all agencies. GOV.UK

No survivor should have to wait for safety. With urgency, funding and accountability, we can save lives.

Sources & further reading

Post Views: 549
scroll to top