What was claimed
1.9 million people in England and Wales said they’d been victims of domestic abuse last year, and it kills 2 women every week.
Our verdict
That’s right.
Domestic violence: 1.9 million say they were victims last year
17 February 2016
“1.9 million people in England and Wales said they’d been victims of domestic abuse last year, with 2 women killed every week.”
BBC Today programme, 17 February 2016
This is backed up by official figures.
An estimated 1.3 million women and 600,000 men were victims of domestic abuse in 2014/15. This includes violence by partners and family members, as well as other types of abuse such as coercive and controlling behaviour. The figures also include stalking by any person, including but not limited to partners and family members.
Partners, ex-partners, or family members were the principal suspect in the killing of 99 women in 2014/15, which works out at just under two women a week. These women made up 60% of the 165 killed in total that year.
The equivalent figure for men was 43 out of 299 killings in total. So the number of people—men and women—killed by partners, exes, and family members is 2.7 a week on average.
A note of caution on those figures. Killings could include those perpetrated by an 'emotional rival' of the victim—for example if a victim was involved in an affair and was killed by their lover's partner.