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: SunderlandPublished: July 2023Year of death: 2017Extracted: 4 recs
Statutory domestic homicide review under section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. Source: Home Office DHR Library.
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.
Home Office classifications
20 tags
Source-supplied classifications used by the Home Office to catalogue this review.
Children - under 18 shared parental responsibility (victim and perpetrator)
Children - under 18 shared parental responsibility (between victims)
Children - under 18 shared parental responsibility (between perpetrators)
Children - living with victim (including adult children)
Children - living with perpetrator (including adult children)
Children - present at homicide (including adult children)
Child - primary address same as victim
Perpetrator - case heard in court
Perpetrator - issued life sentence
Perpetrator - alcohol misuse
Aggravating factors - separation
Aggravating factors - coercive or controlling behaviour
DHR process - family contributed to dhr
DHR process - family received draft report
DHR process - health services recommendations
DHR process - employer recommendations
DHR process - identification of risk recommendation themes
DHR process - training recommendation themes
DHR process - multi agency working recommendation themes
DHR process - awareness raising recommendation themes
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.
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.
Addressed to
Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group
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.
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.