The devastating case of Kiena Dawes, a 23-year-old mum driven to end her own life by her fiance’s campaign of abuse, has illustrated the link between domestic violence and suicide. After placing her nine-month-old baby in the care of a friend in July 2022, Kiena took her life, leaving a note blaming her partner’s abuse. In it, she said, ‘Ryan Wellings killed me,’ and, ‘He ruined every bit of strength I had left.’
In January 2025, Ryan Wellings, 30, was convicted of assault and controlling and coercive behaviour and jailed for six-and-a-half years.
Sadly, Kiena is just one in a growing number of women who feel death is their only way out of an abusive relationship. According to charity Agenda Alliance, women who experience abuse from a partner are three…
