Report calls for multi-agency response to prevent domestic abuse related deaths
National Police Chiefs' Council
The NPCC enables independent chief constables and their forces to work together to improve policing for the public.
Rarely do a few days go by without harrowing news that someone has lost their life at the hands of someone they knew or loved. So ingrained is the problem that we tend to only hear about the cases involving extreme violence and depravity.
We need to make a conscious effort not to be desensitised by these headlines and register the human impact behind every one of these deaths. Remember the victim’s name and that they are a real person with a family, friends and aspirations.
Having worked in policing for 34 years, including leading the national response to domestic abuse, I have heard from many families bereaved by domestic abuse who are dealing with unfathomable loss and grief, often left looking for answers.
Through the Domestic Homicide Project, we have worked with many of these families to analyse cases of homicides and suicides on an individual and collective basis, ultimately to help improve policing’s response.
I am deeply grateful to every family and victim-survivor who has told me about their experience. It is never in vain and fuels so much of the change you see across policing, government and other agencies to stop the widespread harm of domestic abuse.
Today we have released the fourth Domestic Homicide Report, the only dataset that tracks the scale and nature of police-recorded domestic homicides and suicides. As ever, the report is sobering and shows that domestic abuse-related deaths continue to rise.
The report shines a particular light on the scale of victims of domestic abuse who sadly take their own life. This is now the most commonly recorded death type over a four-year period, as agencies become more aware of the link between suicide and domestic abuse.
We know that domestic abuse has a deeply pervasive psychological impact; in fact, the most common indicator of risk in domestic homicide and suicide is coercive and controlling behaviour.
There has been significant progress in addressing this issue. Police training and risk assessments now stress the importance of identifying coercive and controlling behaviour. Policy changes require officers attending unexpected deaths to investigate any history of domestic abuse.
We have the tools and the frameworks, but our focus is now on specialist training for officers and investigators to better understand the complexities of domestic abuse and adopt a professionally curious mindset to identify wider patterns of abusive behaviour.
I believe these changes are starting to have an impact; we are seeing a small but steady increase in the number of posthumous investigations and charges for domestic abuse offences, but I know that we have a way to go to secure more justice for victims, survivors and their families.
Collaboration with other agencies, including healthcare providers, coroners, and the criminal justice system, is crucial. We must work together to bring offenders to justice and better support victims.
These deaths are not inevitable, but only by working together as a society can we stop them.
Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, national police lead for domestic abuse
Innovating conversations, one thought at a time.
6 小时前David Howell Before helping victims, we must address the police officer who needs help with their own experiences, providing context on how safe or unsafe they feel. How many have we spoken to who are broken, expected to support, care for, and fix problems for others, yet lack human factors data to show how they, as individuals, are impacted—and whether they are in a psychologically safe space to manage the complexity without becoming emotionally reactive and burned out? It is phenomenal to consider what lies beneath the conscious surface, with much data remaining unavailable. You can only protect victims if the police officer is protected and in a safe space. Currently, there is no insight available; all data are symptomatic responses, collected only when damage is complete burnout and PTSD has fully set in. It does not have to be that way. Dan Temple
I think with the technology available many domestic related homicides which have had elements of controlling / stalking type behaviour of online accounts, trackers, hidden cameras etc it's definitely possible to improve the policing response. Sadly not many domestic abuse investigators have sufficient training to scan for hidden devices, or to understand user agent strings to identify partners controlling bank accounts, streaming services, social media etc it's a huge gap in training for first responders
Phoenix Rising: Supporting Victims of Abuse, Trauma, Neurodiversity, and Socio-Economically Challenged Individuals. Specialising in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion within Minority Ethnic Groups.
3 天前I have been saying this for years. MASH should already be doing this but are failing DV victims miserably, who are left in horrific circumstances, despite repeated disclosures, to numerous Professionals; are repeatedly ignored despite Safeguarding Protocol. Agencies 'pass the buck' from one person to another. Nobody wants to be the 1st responder, in a crisis situation. "We are limited as to what we can do, for our own pupils, let alone their families" - John Draper, Headteacher, Swaythling Primary School, 2024, upon my questioning as to why my children and I, were not Safeguarded, from horrific ongoing domestic abuse, in Sept 2019: We were forcibly taken to Pakistan, held against our will, in horrendous conditions, abused, starved, poisoned, and refused medical attention. My 6yr old son, came back completely emaciated, after only 3wks of being there, his food and belongings were all pilfered by my in-laws. My 2yr old was starved, abused, and refused medical attention. He would scream "Help me Mummy!" everytime I tried to change his nappy, due to non-stop diarrhoea going untreated for the entire 3wks. I was purposefully poisoned with Cholera, mocked and laughed at when I collapsed. "Quick call the Dr or her Mum will send in Feds!"
Retired ( LE)lieutenant colonel- HM forces - leader Author/ speaker in—leadership and logistics -supply chains world driving record holder of the world by car”
3 天前Our poor police try their very best to keep us safe but our politicians tie their hands behind their backs with red tape and HR support our police officers government