Source · Prevention of Future Deaths

Georgia Barter

Ref: 2025-0491 Date: 2 Oct 2025 Coroner: Dr Shirley Radcliffe Area: East London Responses identified: 1 / 1 View PDF

Frontline police officers face difficulty accessing the Police National Database for domestic abuse history across different force areas, hindering proactive identification and intervention for victims.

Date 2 Oct 2025

56-day deadline 27 Nov 2025

Responses identified 1 of 1

Community health care and emergency services related deaths

Coroner's concerns

AI summary

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Georgia was a 32year old female who died as a result of domestic abuse and I recorded a conclusion of unlawful killing. She had come into contact with a number of police forces in southern England over the course of an abusive relationship. The concern I have is that there is difficulty for front line officers in police forces across the country to easily access the police national database to check on individuals who are suspected of domestic abuse. They are unable to easily identify if the individual has a history of reported domestic abuse in areas outside that forces’ borders. This would allow police to be more proactive in their dealings with victims of domestic violence. I understand that some forces have implemented changes to facilitate better exchange of information and access to PND. However, I am concerned that there may be forces which continue to have limited access for front line police officers to the PND. This is on a background of rising numbers of domestic violence cases in this country. It accounts for 20% of all crime in Essex. I have been informed there is a plan to undertake a technological overhaul in the Home Office and I would consider this matter something that should be brought to your attention to prevent future deaths.

Responses

1 respondent

Home Office Central Government

7 Nov 2025 PDF

Noted

The Home Office describes the Police National Database and its use, noting it is a top priority to tackle violence against women and girls and highlighting the new National Policing Centre for VAWG and Public Protection. (AI summary)

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Dear Dr Radcliffe, Thank you for your correspondence of 2 October 2025 to the Home Secretary enclosing a copy of the Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths, following the inquest into the death of Georgia Jay Barter. I am replying as the Minister of State for Crime and Policing. I would first like to express my deepest condolences to Georgia’s family for their loss. The Police National Database (PND) is a national intelligence sharing system, which provides a consolidated view of data held locally by police forces and Law Enforcement Agencies. The PND contains 6.3 billion searchable records and 19m images. It uses algorithms to match people of interest, locations, vehicles, events and other items. Around
1.3m PND searches are completed each month. PND is used by 43 police forces in England and Wales, Police Scotland, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Isle of Man Police and the States of Jersey Police. Data from PND is provided to frontline officers by designated and specially trained staff in each police force. These account for c. 12,000 licences. The Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) work and pro-actively engage with police forces to ensure that their allocation of licences is managed effectively and provides PND access to key areas of operational policing. The PND went live in 2011 and receives regular technical upgrades. The Home Office has a current programme designed to alleviate some of the current legacy challenges and to stabilise this Critical National Infrastructure application prior to any wider transformation of police intelligence. The PND has a system of intensive monitoring and service support, and consistently meets its service level agreements for End-user Availability. Tackling violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse, is a top priority for this Government with a manifesto mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. We will deliver a cross-government transformative approach, underpinned by a

new strategy which we aim to publish as soon as possible. In February 2025, we announced a new National Policing Centre for VAWG and Public Protection. We are investing £13.1 million this financial year (2025/26) with the new Centre launched in April 2025. This funding includes an uplift of nearly £2 million to enable policing to better target these crimes. I hope you find this response helpful. Very best wishes, Minister of State for Policing and Crime

Report sections

Investigation and inquest

On 7th May 2020 this Court commenced an investigation into the death of Georgia Jay Barter aged 32 years. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 2nd October 2025. The conclusion of the inquest was unlawful killing. Cause of death was: 1a multi organ failure 1b liver toxicity 1c paracetamol overdose

Circumstances of the death

Georgia Barter was in a long-term abusive relationship and during that time came to the attention of a number of police forces across southern England where there were allegations of domestic abuse. Following an assault by her partner on the 5th April 2020 she undertook an act of self-harm which resulted in her death on the 26th April 2020.

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Report details

Reference: 2025-0491
Date of report: 2 October 2025
Coroner: Dr Shirley Radcliffe
Coroner area: East London

Responses identified

Responses identified 1 of 1

All listed responses identified

Organisations named in PFD reports are normally expected to respond within 56 days. Deadline: 27 Nov 2025.

Sent to

[REDACTED] Secretary of State for the Home Department

Source links

Judiciary.uk page → Report PDF →

Data: judiciary.uk under OGL.