Domestic Homicides and Suspected Victim Suicides During ...

1 1 Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme (VKPP) Domestic Homicides and Suspected Victim Suicides During the Covid-19 Pandemic 2020-2021 Lis Bates1, Katharine Hoeger2, Melanie-Jane Stoneman3, and Angela Whitaker4 You are the voice of the dead person and you have a huge responsibility to ensure their story is recorded correctly. How can we learn from the past if it is not represented accurately? - Frank Mullane 2018 1 Senior Research Fellow, Centre for policing Research and Learning, The Open University ( During this report preparation); Reader in Interpersonal Violence Prevention at the Connect Centre, University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) (since 2 August 2021) 2 Analyst (Research Assistant During this report preparation), Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme 3 Research Fellow (Analyst During this report preparation), Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme 4 Project Lead, Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme on secondment from West Midlands Police as National Domestic Abuse Coordinator and Staff Officer for AC Louisa Rolfe 2 Foreword The police service role in responding to Domestic abuse is to protect victims, bring offenders to justice and prevent crime.

2 Domestic abuse affects victims and families from all walks of life and is not confined to particular social groups or communities and its impact can be devastating. policing alone will not effectively address or prevent the harm caused by Domestic abuse, but we have a crucial and central role in identifying those cases where intervention by agencies could be effective in reducing or removing risk of harm. policing , including the College of Police and specialist support teams, is constantly striving to improve the response so that victims and potential victims are made safer. The COVID pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges for all agencies trying to protect vulnerable people. In March 2020 there was widespread concern about the safety of vulnerable people potentially isolating with abusers.

3 Victims faced lockdown measures which restricted support from family, friends, employers, and agencies. policing developed a wide range of innovations to reach victims and manage dangerous perpetrators, however, there was still the potential for increases in Domestic abuse and Domestic homicide. The NPCC and College of policing working with the national policing Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme (VKPP), developed the concept of tracking all deaths within a Domestic setting to learn any potential lessons rapidly as England and Wales moved through various stages of lockdown. This report contains the 12-month data, findings, and recommendations for policing in relation to Domestic homicide and suicide following Domestic abuse.

4 This report does not replace the value of the Domestic homicide review process or other reviews which consider all available information from all agencies. Findings provide opportunities for all statutory agencies to consider how they can contribute to the prevention of Domestic abuse and its consequences. Throughout this project we have been greatly supported by the Domestic abuse and homicide stakeholders alongside a variety of academics who are experts in this field. We would also like to thank former/retired Chief Constable Simon Bailey and the police forces of England and Wales for their unwavering support and contribution to this project. The report also provides the opportunity to remember the victims and their families who have lost their loved ones in horrific circumstances.

5 AC Louisa Rolfe Assistant OBE Commissioner National policing Lead for Domestic Abuse DAC Stuart Cundy QPM Deputy Assistant Commissioner National policing Lead for Homicide ACC Charlie Doyle Assistant Chief Constable National policing Lead for Suicide Prevention Bernie O Reilly Interim Chief Executive Officer College of policing 3 Victoria Atkins MP - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Safeguarding) Domestic abuse is a horrific crime that has no place in our society. As the Home Office Minister with responsibility for safeguarding, I have seen the lasting impact these crimes can have on victims, their families, and our communities. Tackling Domestic abuse is a key priority for the Government and I am committed to doing everything we can to tackle this abhorrent crime, to ensure victims have the protection they rightly need, and that perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice.

6 We have made huge progress in recent years and I am especially proud of our landmark Domestic Abuse Act which transforms our response to tackling Domestic abuse by providing greater protection to victims and survivors from all forms of abuse. We will also be publishing two strategies: the strategy on Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), and the Domestic Abuse Strategy. The Domestic Abuse Strategy will go beyond implementation of the landmark Domestic Abuse Act the strategy will help transform the whole of society s response to Domestic abuse in order to prevent offending, support victims and pursue perpetrators. I am grateful to the work of the NPCC, VKPP and the College of policing on this project.

7 It has offered a great deal of learning for the police and supported their response to Domestic abuse During the pandemic. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the Domestic abuse and homicide stakeholders, the academics, and police forces of England and Wales who have contributed to this project. I am pleased that the project will continue for another year so that we can continue to monitor Domestic Homicides and further develop our learning. Finally, it is important that we learn lessons from these losses to drive change and prevent further Domestic Homicides . Victoria Atkins MP 4 Contents Foreword .. 2 Executive Summary .. 7 The impact of Covid-19 on Domestic homicide and Suspected Victim suicide 7 Typologies and characteristics of victims and suspects.

8 8 Risk factors in Domestic Homicides and Suspected Victim Suicides .. 10 Prior suspect and Victim contact with police and other agencies .. 12 List of Conclusions and Recommendations .. 13 Conclusions .. 13 Recommendations for this project in Year 2 .. 14 Recommendations for the police .. 15 Recommendations for the College of policing .. 15 Rapid learning for police as the country exits lockdown .. 16 Chapter 1: Introduction .. 18 The project .. 18 Project outcomes .. 20 Methodology .. 20 Data sources .. 21 Case typology .. 21 Data quality and limitations .. 22 Overview of existing literature and evidence .. 24 Chapter 2: The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Domestic Homicides and Suspected Victim Suicides .

9 26 Context .. 26 Number of deaths .. 26 All Domestic Homicides and Suspected Victim Suicides since Covid .. 26 Seasonal and monthly variation .. 28 The impact of lockdown on number of deaths .. 30 Covid insights .. 32 Submissions recording Covid or lockdown impact .. 32 Thematic nature of Covid impacts .. 33 Chapter 3: Typologies and characteristics of victims and 37 Context .. 37 Victim characteristics .. 37 Victim sex .. 37 Victim age .. 38 Victim ethnicity .. 39 Victim nationality .. 41 5 Victim - Other protected characteristics .. 42 Suspect characteristics .. 42 Suspect sex .. 42 Suspect age .. 42 Suspect ethnicity .. 43 Suspect Other protected characteristics.

10 45 Victim and suspect ethnicity 45 Other case characteristics .. 46 Location of death .. 46 Method of death .. 46 Case progression .. 46 Suspect suicide .. 46 Case profiles what characterises the types? .. 47 Adult family Homicides .. 47 Child deaths .. 48 Intimate partner Homicides .. 48 Other .. 50 Suspected Victim Suicides .. 50 Unexplained or suspicious deaths .. 50 Chapter 4: Risk factors in Domestic Homicides and Suspected Victim Suicides .. 52 Context .. 52 Individual risk factors .. 52 Previous Domestic abuse perpetration .. 53 Coercive and controlling behaviour .. 54 Suspect mental health conditions .. 54 Suspect alcohol and/or drug (mis)use.