Closed petition Ban the use of "committed suicide" by public bodies or in any official context.

Closed on 27 February 2016

Historically, this term originates from the criminal system. When my husband died by suicide I was told in public "I've heard your husband committed suicide he is a coward & should be ashamed of himself". No one came to my defence & I was devastated. Suicide is not a crime, eradicate this phrase.

I represent thousands of survivors who belong to the National charity Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide. We are a minority group at high risk of secondary suicides. This outdated term is on occasion used to verbally attack vulnerable survivors and the person who has died. If the survivor is feeling suicidal and has developed a plan the trigger could be the barrage of abuse often starting with those two negative words. Society should replace the term "committed suicide" with "died by suicide".