Murders in England and Wales fell 3% to the lowest since 2016. Male victims make up 73% deaths, Metropolitan Police recorded most cases.
The drop in murders was mainly because of fewer female victims. Female victims decreased by 10%. Male victim numbers stayed about the same. Most murder victims were men, about 73%. Roughly 27% of victims were women.
Most suspects charged were men. This was true for both male and female victims. For women killed, a partner or ex was often the suspect. This was the case in more than a third of instances. For female victims, parents were the next most frequent suspect. Then followed sons or daughters. Strangers were rarely the suspected killer of women.
Only 4% of female victims were killed by strangers. Male victims had a different pattern. Only 2% were likely killed by a partner or ex. Instead, they were often killed by friends or strangers. Friends or acquaintances accounted for 23%. Strangers were suspected in 20% of male deaths.
The Metropolitan Police had the most murder cases, their number was 110. West Midlands Police followed with 32 cases. West Yorkshire Police had 28, and then Greater Manchester with 25.
Merseyside Police recorded 16 murders, the seventh highest count. The murders happened across all areas of Merseyside. Liverpool had five murders; Knowsley, Sefton, St. Helens, and Wirral each had two. A further three murders were recorded in Merseyside and not linked to a specific borough.
Most victims were young adults aged 16 to 24. The next most common age group was 35 to 44. Knives or sharp instruments were used often. They were involved in 83% of teenage victim murders. Sharp instruments killed half of all male victims. More than a third of female victims were killed by them too.