Join us for the launch of our long awaited research on women who kill. The report is the culmination of a four year research study that explores the criminal justice response to women who kill abusive men. Through in-depth interviews with some key practitioners in the criminal justice system, and most crucially with women themselves, this research explores the extent to which the law itself, and the way the law is applied, prevent women accessing justice

Chaired by writer and broadcaster Samira Ahmed

Speakers:

Harriet Wistrich, founder member of Justice for Women, director of Centre for Women’s Justice and solicitor for several women who appealed murder convictions for killing violent partners, including the recent cases of Sally Challen and Farieissia Martin – on why we undertook this research

Sophie Howes – main author of the report who will provide an overview of the research and its findings.

Pragna Patel: Director of Southall Black Sisters and campaigner for women who kill, known in particular for her spearheading of campaigns on behalf of Kiranjit Ahluwalia and Zoora Shah. Also author of a section of the report on particular issues arising for BME women who kill.

Sally Challen: convicted of the murder of her coercively controlling husband, Richard Challen, in 2011, Sally fought a long battle for justice, resulting in her successful appeal in 2019. She subsequently pleaded guilty to manslaughter and now seeks to raise awareness of the plight of many other women serving lengthy prison sentences from crimes arising in the context of being victims themselves

Dame Vera Baird QC, victims commissioner.: In her role as victim’s commissioner, Dame Vera seeks to support victims who are driven to offend. She understands their plight as in her former role as a criminal defence barrister, she represented a number of women prosecuted for the murder of violent partners at trial and appeal.

Professor Elizabeth Sheehy: Canadian legal academic and author of ‘Defending battered women on trial: lessons from the transcripts” and numerous other studies on violence against women and the criminal justice system

Naz Shah MP for Bradford West, daughter of and campaigner for Zoora Shah who served 14 years of a life sentence for killing a man who violently controlled her