Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer explains why some carers commit murder-suicide, following the tragic case in Salford.
"Every year in England there are roughly 13 murders or murder-suicides that involve a person caring for a disabled child or family member. In some cases, carers act out of a sense of compassion, wanting to end the suffering of the person they’re caring for. In other cases, the carer becomes so overwhelmed by the challenges of the caring role that they want to end their own life but can’t bear to leave the person they’re caring for behind. We also know there are some cases where the murder is the final stage in domestic abuse or the result of serious mental illness.
"It’s important that we don’t speculate about the motives or circumstances in this particular case. But at the same time, the death of any disabled child highlights serious failings in our health and social care systems. Through austerity and COVID, millions of unpaid carers around the UK have been forced to provide more and more care, with less and less support, and parents of disabled children have been hit the hardest. Many of them are caring around the clock because formal services aren’t fit for purpose, and they’re being forced to battle the NHS and local authorities to get their children even the most basic healthcare and education. The new government has been made aware of the challenges that carers are facing, but still haven’t committed to addressing them. What will it take before they act?"
Associate Professor
Siobhan O'Dwyer is an Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham, specialising in research on the needs and experiences of unpaid carers with a particular focus on suicide and homicide
