Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews
Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (formerly Domestic Homicide Reviews)
Domestic Homicide Reviews in England and Wales will be renamed Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews to better recognise suicides linked to domestic abuse. The reviews are a multi-agency effort which seeks to identify and implement lessons learnt from deaths which have, or appear to have, resulted from domestic abuse. The aim is to better protect potential victims and prevent further tragedies.
Following public consultation, it was recognised more focus needed to be placed on hidden victims who die from domestic abuse-related suicide. The new wider definition recognises the often hidden victims of domestic abuse who die after suicide, coercive and controlling behaviour, and economic abuse.
Further information on the change of name is provided by the Home Office [external link]
A Domestic Homicide Review (a ‘DHR’) under section 9(1) of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (‘the 2004 Act’) is a review of the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by a person to whom they were related or with whom they were in an intimate personal relationship, or by a member of the same household.
Responsibility for establishing a Domestic Abuse Related Death Review is placed with the Chair of the local Community Safety Partnership (CSP) in consultation with multi agency partners. CSP’s are viewed to be ideally placed to conduct Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews because of their multi-agency design. Within Darlington this partnership is referred to as the Darlington Community Safety Partnership (CSP).
Further information about Darlington Community Safety Partnership is available on the Darlington Borough Council Website [external link]
Definition of a Domestic Abuse Related Death Review
A Domestic Abuse Related Death Review should be carried out to ensure that lessons are learnt when a person has been killed as a result of domestic violence. The guidance states: ‘domestic abuse related death review’ means a review of the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by:
- a person to whom he/she was related or with whom he/she had been in an intimate personal relationship, or
- a member of the same household
Where a victim took their own life and the circumstances give rise to concern (e.g. it emerges that there was coercive controlling behaviour in the relationship) a Domestic Abuse Related Death Review should be undertaken, even if a subject is not charged with an offence or is tried and acquitted.
Purpose of a Domestic Abuse Related Death Review
The purpose of a Domestic Abuse Related Death Review is to:
- establish what lessons are to be learned from the domestic homicide regarding the way in which local professionals and organisations work individually and together to safeguard victims;
- identify clearly what those lessons are both within and between agencies, how and within what timescales they will be acted on, and what is expected to change as a result;
- apply these lessons to service responses including changes to inform national and local policies and procedures as appropriate;
- prevent domestic violence and homicide and improve service responses for all domestic violence and abuse victims and their children by developing a co-ordinated multi-agency approach to ensure that domestic abuse is identified and responded to effectively at the earliest opportunity;
- contribute to a better understanding of the nature of domestic violence and abuse; and highlight good practice
The current procedure for undertaking Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DHRs) in Darlington is set out in the guidance below:
Procedure for the conduct of Domestic Homicide Reviews within Darlington Jan 2020 [PDF Document]
Home Office Statutory Guidance for the conduct of DHR's - Home Office Guidance 2016 [external link]
The Home Office has published a library on GOV.UK website making previous reviews available online. Search the domestic homicide review library [external link]