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
East Sussex review
CSP: East SussexPublished: August 2026Year of death: 2019Extracted: 8 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 missed opportunities by agencies to identify and intervene in domestic abuse due to a lack of routine enquiry and professional curiosity. Barriers to disclosure included the perpetrator's coercive control, the victim's mental health, and fear of losing her child, underscoring the need for enhanced training and public awareness of support services.
Home Office classifications
40 tags
Source-supplied classifications used by the Home Office to catalogue this review.
Victim - housing issues
Victim - pregnancy
Victim - mental ill health
Victim - neurodiverse condition diagnosis
Victim - anxiety
Victim - depression
Victim - panic attacks
Victim - serious or life limiting illness
Victim - had been a victim of an abuser before
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)
Child - primary address same as victim
Perpetrator - case heard in court
Perpetrator - issued life sentence
Perpetrator - substance misuse
Perpetrator - known to agencies as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to health 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 - psychological or emotional abuse
Aggravating factors - physical 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 - social services recommendations
DHR process - health services recommendations
DHR process - housing 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 - record keeping recommendation themes
DHR process - awareness raising recommendation themes
DHR process - other recommendation themes
Extracted recommendations
8 recommendations pulled from the report · 2 matched to organisations in the index
The Home Office to review what support is available at present to support families of victims of domestic abuse (both short term and long term) and what is required in the future. This to include support for families through the criminal justice process and long-term support to help families of a domestic homicide victim, especially family members who are awarded Special Guardianship Orders including legal advice, signposting for further support and information.
Addressed to
Safer Communities Partnership Board | All agencies included in this report
SCPB seek assurance from agencies in this review that professionals and practitioners in their organisation understand and utilise the DASH checklist to better support victims of domestic abuse.
Addressed to
Safer Communities Partnership Board | All agencies
SCPB to seek assurance that all agencies have actions to address non engagement within their polices and Do Not Attend Policies, where applicable. (DNA)
SCB to review and update its communication strategy for the wider community to raise awareness of domestic abuse in all its forms including controlling coercive behaviour, stalking, emotional abuse and economic abuse. Information also to include the behaviours of a victim and a perpetrator, what is new for the community in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and what local support is available.
The Home Office and the Department of Health to engage with the Primary Care named GP network to promote and embed routine domestic abuse enquiry into GP working culture.
Agencies to implement the recommendations identified within their IMRs and provide updates to the East Sussex Safer Communities Partnership Board if an agency’s recommendation cannot be implemented
All agencies to continue to review how they embed professional curiosity and critical challenge within their organisation, including support and training for managers and supervisors to have the confidence to support and challenge professional through reflective supervision.
SCPB to continue to seek assurance from agencies that professionals are accessing training, including domestic abuse training delivered by the specialist domestic abuse service provided by CGL, to include an understanding of DA, including controlling, coercive behaviour, a trauma-based approach of supporting victims suffering from DA, understanding the links between mental health issues and domestic abuse, professional curiosity, timeliness of interventions, the Homicide Timeline and the impact of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. This to include a further assurance from agencies that the success/or not of training is reviewed and updated as required.