Patrick Stewart dies aged 86, and charities he worked with pay tribute

Patrick Stewart has died aged 86, according to The Guardian. Charities he supported for many years over domestic abuse have paid tribute to him.

Stewart grew up in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, and in the 1940s he witnessed his father beat his mother. He first spoke about that childhood experience in 2004, as part of the global campaign by Amnesty International, the human rights organisation, to cut violence against women.

Kerry Moscogiuri, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, said Stewart had stood with the organisation for many years. She said he had spoken openly about the violence his mother suffered in order to support its campaign. She added that his honesty had given courage to survivors around the world.

Stewart said he was moved to speak out after his brother, who is 79, told him that what happened had blighted his life.

In 2007 he became an ambassador for Refuge, a charity that supports survivors of domestic abuse, and he remained one for the rest of his life. His work for the charity included attending events, fundraising and drawing on his own experience in policy discussions. Those discussions led to children being recognised as victims of domestic abuse in their own right under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, a UK law. The Guardian reported this account of his role.

Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, chair of trustees at Refuge, said Stewart had told her he did the work in honour of his mother. She said he had encouraged other survivors to come forward and had raised awareness of the longstanding impact of domestic abuse on children. Cherie Blair KC is also a Refuge ambassador.