About this page. This page summarises a Domestic Homicide Review published in the Home Office DHR Library. The full report is available at the source link below. Victim and perpetrator names are not included in extracted summaries on this page.
Source · Domestic Homicide Review
Sunderland review
CSP: Sunderland
Published: July 2023
Year of death: 2017
Extracted: 4 recs
Statutory domestic homicide review under section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. Source: Home Office DHR Library.
View full report (PDF) ↗
Source: Home Office DHR Library
Summary
The DHR highlights challenges in identifying subtle coercive control as a domestic abuse risk factor, noting victims may normalise such behaviours. It also identifies an acute risk of violence when a perpetrator is confronted with catastrophic information, especially at the point of separation.
Extracted recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressed to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The review has highlighted that ‘controlling behaviours’ take many different forms and can be very difficult to recognise as a significant risk factor for domestic abuse. There is a need for ongoing work to publicise and raise workplace awareness and understanding of coercive and controlling behaviours. This should include work with employers to promote: Greater awareness and understanding of coercive control and possible warning signs for this aspect of domestic abuse Confidence on the part of managers and work colleagues to open a discussion with the person potentially at risk, if they have concerns about possible coercive and controlling behaviours. Knowledge of sources of specialist advice and support, where needed. It is recommended that learning from this DHR should be disseminated widely to employing organisations, including through the Workplace Domestic Violence Champions19 initiative. | Safer Sunderland Partnership |
| 2 | There is an urgent need to increase general public awareness and understanding of coercive and controlling behaviours. Publicity needs to target all sections of the community, to ensure that people affected by coercive control - and their family members, friends and neighbours - recognise the warning signs for this type of abuse and can access relevant advice and support at the earliest possible opportunity. | Safer Sunderland Partnership |
| 3 | Lessons from this DHR highlight the importance of routine enquiry about domestic abuse, including coercive control, in professional settings such as GP practices. There is currently a Domestic Abuse Health Advocates in GP Practices Pilot, working with 12 GP practices in Sunderland with the aim of promoting routine enquiry in primary healthcare settings. Early evidence is that the pilot is making good progress. If the evidence continues to show positive outcomes, it is recommended that this approach should be further developed and expanded to as many primary healthcare settings as possible. | Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group |
| 4 | The background to this homicide highlights that confronting a family member with evidence of previously unknown behaviours may be a trigger point for violence, especially where disclosure is likely to be catastrophic for the person being confronted. This type of risk factor needs to be included within multi-agency domestic abuse training so that it is considered as part of risk management strategies. | Safer Sunderland Partnership |
| Recommendations extracted from the published report. Source: Home Office DHR Library. View full report ↗ | ||