“The simple fact is, I am interested in people, extremes of people. If I’m honest I have been drawn to the darker side of life since I can remember.”

Here come the Girls Award Finalist – Kerry Daynes

Kerry has been a qualified psychologist for over 20 years, specialising in working with violent & sexual offenders. She began her career at the notorious HMP Wakefield, a Category A men’s prison which houses a large number of high-profile, high-risk sex offenders and murderers. Past and present inmates include Charles Bronson, Jeremy Bamber, Harold Shipman, Ian Watkins and Ian Huntley.

This experience has led Kerry to being recognised for her ability to engage with and treat complex, challenging and often dangerous patients. A published author, Kerry has shared her memoirs of a fascinating career in 2 books:  Dark Side of the Mind & What Lies Buried and co-authored the ‘Is there a Psycho in your life?’

It is little wonder that TV came calling and fans of True Crimes TV Series such as Faking It: Tears of Crime, Crimes that Fooled Britain and The Making of a Monster, will instantly recognise Kerry as the no-nonsense expert helping viewers understand the actions and motivations of violent criminals.

A victim herself – stabbed by a patient, stalked by a stranger, harassed by prison officers – these harrowing experiences have led her to work extensively with female victims of violence & trauma.

She advocates for social justice for women as victims of such offenders, raising awareness of issues such as stalking, domestic violence & homicide and how these impact victims’ psychologically, as well as highlighting how such women are also often treated poorly by the legal system & mental health services.

Her own experience of being stalked by a stranger for 6 years, which only resulted in a harassment order, before it was finally recognised as something far more serious when ‘Jill Dando’ was daubed on her gate and her cat found strangled and dumped in her garden. This experience gave her a first hand understanding of the failings in our legal system.

During these years, Kerry lived in fear. She stopped appearing on TV or accepting public speaking engagements and removed herself from social media.

As a result of her own experiences and expertise, Kerry campaigns on behalf of victims of violent crime. She writes and talks about violence against women, focusing on the victims and helping to erase the stigma around mental distress & responses to trauma.

She challenges both the legal and mental health systems that disadvantage women and campaigns for changes in the laws around stalking and domestic violence. She has been called into police forces to train police in their responses to stalking and domestic abuse cases.

Her management company describes her as

 ‘Bright, funny, opinionated and offering much to a debate.’

Kerry describes herself as a proud Patron of the National Centre for Domestic Violence and Anti-Stalking Campaigner and Ambassador for The Suzy Lamplugh Trust Anti-Stalking Helpline.

Kerry will be sharing insights into her fascinating life at the Inspiring Women Awards Lunch 19/03/2023