50 women have been killed in the UK this year, allegedly all by men — the charities working to combat violence against women and girls aren’t surprised

Women Against Violence Against Women activists stage a protest outside the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice in Westminster, London, England, 7th January 1981. They are protesting against Judge Bertram Richards' decision to fine, rather than imprison, John Allen who had raped a teenage hitchhiker. (Photo by Gary Stone/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images).

50 women have been killed in the UK so far this year, allegedly at the hands of men. The number is shocking, but those working to protect women and girls aren’t surprised. “Devastating, but not too surprising,” says Women’s Aid.

Last month, Violence against women and girls was finally declared a national emergency, and while the news was positively received as part of the new Labour government’s pledge to “tackle the scourge of violence against women and girls”, many in the sector were left wondering what took so long. Now, less than a month later—and with more lives lost to senseless male violence—a new report has confirmed the names of women believed to have been killed by men.