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
Portsmouth review
CSP: PortsmouthPublished: March 2025Year of death: 2021Extracted: 6 recs
Statutory domestic homicide review under section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. Source: Home Office DHR Library.
The review highlights a lack of consistent recognition and multi-agency response to the complex, bidirectional domestic abuse between the brothers and within the wider family, exacerbated by mental health issues, substance misuse, and housing instability. Missed opportunities for information sharing and tailored interventions were identified.
Home Office classifications
38 tags
Source-supplied classifications used by the Home Office to catalogue this review.
Victim - alcohol misuse
Victim - substance misuse
Victim - housing issues
Victim - mental ill health
Victim - depression
Victim - self harm
Victim - suicidal thoughts
Victim - had been a victim of an abuser before
Victim - referred to marac at any time
Perpetrator - case heard in court
Perpetrator - alcohol misuse
Perpetrator - substance misuse
Perpetrator - mental ill health
Perpetrator - depression
Perpetrator - post traumatic stress disorder (ptsd)
Perpetrator - self harm
Perpetrator - known to agencies as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to police as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to social services as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to idva or other domestic abuse support service as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to probation services as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to others as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to family as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - attended perpetrator programme
Perpetrator - supervised by probation services
Aggravating factors - separation
Aggravating factors - psychological or emotional abuse
Aggravating factors - physical abuse
DHR process - family supported by expert specialist advocate
DHR process - idva or other domestic abuse support service recommendations
DHR process - probation services recommendations
DHR process - community safety partnership recommendations
DHR process - identification of risk recommendation themes
DHR process - training recommendation themes
DHR process - policy recommendation themes
DHR process - multi agency working recommendation themes
DHR process - awareness raising recommendation themes
DHR process - other recommendation themes
Extracted recommendations
6 recommendations pulled from the report · 3 matched to organisations in the index
The Probation Service should investigate how to strengthen the links between MARAC and domestic abuse processes for those serving short periods in prison so that opportunities for interventions are not lost.
The Portsmouth Safeguarding Adults Board should strengthen the MARM processes and practice so that the MARM increases the likelihood of achieving positive outcomes for victims of domestic abuse in those case which might fall outside of other arrangements such as adult safeguarding, MAPPA or MARAC.
Addressed to
DHR Author | Portsmouth City Council | Home Office
The DHR Author, the Portsmouth City Council Head of Service for Partnerships and Planning and the Portsmouth City Council Strategy and Partnership Manager to write to the Home Office to advise that homicides in the absence of coercion and control and power relationships do not fit easily within in the DHR process and definition of domestic abuse and for this to be considered when reviewing the guidance on DHRs.
Addressed to
Portsmouth Community Safety Partnership
Each agency involved in this review should audit their approaches to cases of inter-familial domestic abuse to identify the extent to which adaptable models are used that respond to victims who have previously been identified as perpetrators and vice versa. The results of the audit could be used to identify further developments in, amongst others, processes, protocols and training.
The Probation Service should ensure that OASYS (Offender Assessment System) captures risks arising from arguments and problems with money and gambling and that these are recorded as possible triggers of further offending.