David Challen

David Challen: the torment that drove my mother to kill m... The writer reflects on a crime which shaped his own life, 10 years after coercive control was made a crime

My mum killed my dad. We took years to uncover the life of abuse she endured at his hands. 10 years since coercive control became a crime, conviction rates remain abysmal at 1%. - EIDA Ambassador @davidchallen.bsky.social shares his experience of #domesticabuse in @theobserveruk.bsky.social

David Challen: the torment that drove my mother to kill m... The writer reflects on a crime which shaped his own life, 10 years after coercive control was made a crime

Ours was the kind of family no one suspected. But behind closed doors, the harm escalated until it changed all our lives forever. Ten years on from coercive control becoming a crime, how far have we come? My piece in @observeruk.bsky.social

I have NEVER said that I am relieved my mum killed my dad.

This is a very clear distortion of my words and it is actual putrid bile.

I have contacted the Daily Mirror.

The Unthinkable has already reached more people than I ever imagined.

Thank you to every reader who’s messaged, shared and told me this helped them name what they went through.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞

🧍🏼👩🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻🧍🏼‍♂️🏠
Out Now ➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

I’m also acutely wary of how male role model conversations, whether you like it or not, can often devalue the idea that men raised by single parent mothers can (and regularly do) become empathetic valuable members of society that thrive.

Gareth Southgate: ‘The need for mentorship has never been... A lack of positive male role models means too many young men are falling behind. How do we fix the problem?

Grateful for men like Gareth progressing this discussion. Vital to note however that we can’t build better masculinity in silos. My empathy, like many men’s, came from women. Role models help, but this work must be done with women, not apart from them.

The Unthinkable is journey of a child excavating his own past, and his mother’s before him, to give an understanding to an unthinkable act of violence, so it never happens again.

🧍🏼👩🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻🧍🏼‍♂️🏠
The Unthinkable - OUT NOW
➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

My mum killed my dad after decades of his abuse. I fought to set her free. But once I did, I realised I needed to free myself too.

I spoke with @mrjamesob.bsky.social about my book #TheUnthinkable + the unseen impact of coercive control on children.

🎧 Listen ➡️ www.globalplayer.com/catchup/lbc/...

“I had no idea Mum had a little plastic stool behind the passenger seat and intended to drive to Beachy Head… and throw herself off.”

This week, The Mail serialised my memoir The Unthinkable, the story to free my mother Sally Challen, and then myself.
➡️ archive.ph/2025.06.11-0...

11 best new books you need to read in June 2025, according to GLAMOUR editors Get ahead of #BookTok.

Huge thanks to the @glamour.com editorial team for picking #TheUnthinkable as one their must-read’s this month!

‘David dedicated his life to sharing his mother's story – now it's time to listen to his.’

Any UK employer can become EIDA members for free. Membership gives your organisation access to the tools and resources needed to take effective action on #domesticabuse. This includes a domestic abuse policy template, legal guidance, and communications resources. www.eida.org.uk/membership

We are kicking off our BlueSky journey by introducing EIDA: We are a UK charity and membership network for employers. Our mission is for every UK employer to take effective action on #domesticabuse. DA affects 1 in 5 employees in the UK, and we can all play a part in changing that.

Glad more print runs are underway!
Blown away by the messages and responses so far to The Unthinkable, a book that’s fast become meaningful with many who’ve reached out. This is what it’s all about.

🧍🏼👫🧍🏼‍♂️🏠
#TheUnthinkable
➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

I’ve also written a short reflection this morning on what it took to write The Unthinkable. It’s about absence, fear, and finally handing my story over...

On Subtack NOW.
➡️ open.substack.com/pub/davidcha...

Happy publication day to…

The Unthinkable!!!
📚 🎉 🥂📚🎉 🥂

My mum killed my dad, I helped free her from prison. This is the story I walked, and what it cost.

I never thought I’d write it and now, it’s out in the world!

🧍🏼👫🧍🏼‍♂️🏠
🚨 Order NOW!
➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

#TheUnthinkable is out TOMORROW and just made the top 100 books on Amazon!

🖤🤍🖤🤍

🧍🏼👩🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻🧍🏼‍♂️🏠
Pre-order ➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

2025's political climate is wreaking havoc on online dating More women are refusing to date men with opposing political beliefs.

2025's political climate is wreaking havoc on online dating. My time on the dating apps opened my eyes to this.

I've written about this for @mashable.com in a story which includes personal anecdotes & interviews with experts & women with first-hand experience 💘📱

mashable.com/article/2025...

So lovely to catch up with Ranvir Singh on Lorraine this morning to talk about #TheUnthinkable. Hearing from early readers who’ve been deeply moved by the book means everything. It makes my journey to write it worth it.

📺 Catch-up here ➡️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-Ni...

'Mum killed dad with a hammer but I fought for years to free her" David Challen says abuse was "normalised" in his home before his mother killed his father.

‘David wrote the book [The Unthinkable] to “give voice to what it’s like to grow up in a home where domestic abuse wasn’t the word – it was coercive control and it didn’t appear on my TV screens”.’

But, a decade on, "we're not tackling it enough", he added.

The Unthinkable is out THURSDAY.

📚 Pre Order Now
➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

Dad wasn’t a monster, but I don’t blame my mother for killing him The son of Sally Challen, who bludgeoned her controlling and abusive husband to death, says writing a book helped him come to terms with what he saw

I sat down with The Sunday Times to talk about The Unthinkable, my memoir of surviving coercive control, fighting to free my mother, and giving voice to the children who grow up unseen inside abusive homes.

Ahead of my interview with Laura Kuenssberg this morning, we spoke about my memoir The Unthinkable - about coercive control and why we still aren’t doing enough to confront this violence.

It airs this morning 9am, on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, BBC One.

📚 #TheUnthinkable is out THURSDAY.

Catch me on Laura Kuenssberg tomorrow where I’ll be talking about my book The Unthinkable, out Thursday.
➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

Coercive control remains major issue in South East The BBC looks into prosecution rates 10 years after coercive control became a criminal offence.

“There’s mental scars which are so difficult to heal.”

A decade since coercive control became a crime, survivors are still left with scars no one sees.

🔺 Sussex: 7,000+ reports, just 3% charged

🔺 Surrey: 3,000+ reports, just 7% charged

This is why I continue to speak out.
Unacceptable failure ⬇️

Mel’s support has meant so much since we met during my campaign to free my mother. Recognising me in the cloak room of a fundraiser, she called out my name then proceed to sit me down and ask what she could do to change things.

She knew everything about our story, and her empathy blew me away 💜

Honoured to have my first quote from Mel B, whose support has meant so much since we met during my campaign to free my mother. Her courage and solidarity as a fellow survivor continues to inspire me.

THE UNTHINKABKE - Out 5th June
🧍🏼👩🏼‍🤝‍👨🏻🧍🏼‍♂️🏠

Pre-Order Now ➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

Andrew and Tristan Tate to face 21 charges in UK, prosecutors say Prosecutors in the UK confirm they have authorised 21 charges against Andrew and Tristan Tate, including rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking.

Prosecutors have authorised 21 charges against Andrew and Tristan Tate, including rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking.”

Thinking of the brave women who bravely came forward to help hold these violent men accountable.

You can pre-order my book, The Unthinkable, out 5 June (NEXT WEEK!)

📖 Here ➡️ www.hachette.co.uk/titles/david...

Great day at @hayfestival.bsky.social w/Harriet Wistrich + Samira Ahmed talking about my new book The Unthinkable!

Hard to believe how far I’ve come, from the lost man who freed his mum from prison after she killed my dad. We gave voice to the abuse she endured, and countless many still suffer 💜

Saving the lost boys: finding the antidote to toxic influencers | The Observer The lure of online misogyny and violence is damaging vulnerable teens. A new group of youth centres is determined to turn the tide

Discussions about the rise of misogynistic influencers are everywhere but most conversations fall short on solutions.

This is why I was pleased to visit a youth centre in Wolverhampton doing vital work with young men to tackle this problem. More info in my story:

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...