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
Torfaen review
CSP: TorfaenPublished: May 2025Year of death: 2021Extracted: 7 recs
Statutory domestic homicide review under section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. Source: Home Office DHR Library.
The review identified pervasive coercive control, missed opportunities for agency intervention due to limited professional curiosity and unconscious bias, and a lack of community awareness regarding domestic abuse signs and reporting pathways.
Home Office classifications
33 tags
Source-supplied classifications used by the Home Office to catalogue this review.
Victim - housing issues
Victim - mental ill health
Victim - anxiety
Victim - depression
Victim - had been a victim of an abuser before
Perpetrator - case heard in court
Perpetrator - mental ill health
Perpetrator - anxiety
Perpetrator - depression
Perpetrator - serious or life limiting illness
Perpetrator - known to agencies as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to police as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to idva or other domestic abuse support service as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to housing services as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to others as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to friends as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to family as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Aggravating factors - separation
Aggravating factors - coercive or controlling behaviour
Aggravating factors - sexual abuse
Aggravating factors - economic abuse
DHR process - family contributed to dhr
DHR process - family consulted about terms of reference
DHR process - family supported by expert specialist advocate
DHR process - family received draft report
DHR process - police recommendations
DHR process - health services recommendations
DHR process - housing services 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
DHR process - other recommendation themes
Extracted recommendations
7 recommendations pulled from the report · 4 matched to organisations in the index
Addressed to
Government Departments | Local Authorities
Information and campaigns aimed at community members on domestic abuse at any age and in different circumstances, and especially in relation to coercive control need to be reinforced both on a national and local level. There are some positive examples detailed above but is recommended the awareness raising and bystander type campaigns are regularly repeated in a way that doesn’t lead to them not being impactful.
Addressed to
Public Services Board/VAWDASV Partnership
Public Services Board/VAWDASV Partnership to consider sharing this report and recommendations with the Wales VAWDASV National Advisors, and to ask if the National Training Framework could be expanded to include additional agencies including solicitors and estate agents who are likely to encounter citizens during stressful and emotional times.
The local commissioning of older persons specialist staff and the work of the Older Person’s commissioner on abuse of older adults to be promoted to aid recognition of domestic abuse within older relationships and referral routes for support. With family consent this report and findings could be utilised as a case study for learning.
Addressed to
NHS | Welsh Ambulance Service Trust | Gwent Police
Ask and Act training to be considered for wider staff within agencies, including NHS employed counselling staff and control centre staff within WAST and Gwent Police with a focus on domestic abuse within all relationships including older adults.
Addressed to
Regional Safeguarding Boards | VAWDASV Partnership
Region to consider further training on recognition and referral for those displaying and/or expressing abuse behaviour including mapping of services that support behavioural change and recognition of risk to partners. With consent, this report and recommendations could be utilised to raise awareness of the need to engage with potential perpetrators, with a focus on older and perceived frail adults.
Addressed to
Gwent Police | Welsh Government VAWDASV team
Gwent Police are piloting the Domestic Abuse Risk Assessment (DARA) tool alongside the DASH risk assessment due to highlighted concerns in some of the key questions which may result in a lower risk score for older adults (as an example in relation to pregnancy). The region and or Welsh Government VAWDASV team may wish to consider a task and finish group to share learning and good practice.
Addressed to
Gwent VAWDASV Board | Gwent Safeguarding Board
Report and recommendations to be shared with the Gwent VAWDASV and Safeguarding Boards to consider the support available to those who own their own homes, like, and in line with the support available via dedicated safeguarding and domestic abuse practitioners within registered housing associations. This is particularly a concern where couples are assessed as standard to medium risk and therefore not supported via MARAC.