Domestic Homicide Reviews: evidence briefing

6. Other Initiatives Analysing Domestic Homicides

Key findings:

There are other initiatives that involve the gathering of systematic data on domestic homicides and identifying trends.

Two examples are the Homicide Monitor in place in several European countries and the delegation for victims (La délégation aux victims) in France. The homicide monitor includes information on victims of homicides and can be used as a data source to identify trends in domestic homicide. The delegation for victims produces an annual report on statistics of intimate partner homicide (and its effect on children), including the consideration of (long-term) trends.

Domestic Homicide Reviews are currently implemented, or in the process of being implemented in seven countries, either at a national, sub-national or local level^[14]. Other countries, however, might also have death review processes, for example when children or adults who are supported by mental health services are involved, and in some instances this will also include a domestic abuse context. The difference between these and a DHR is that these might be single agency rather than multi-agency reviews, and they do not necessarily gather systematic data on domestic homicides. There are other initiatives however, that might not include an agency review, but do gather systematic data on domestic homicides and identify trends. Below two of these initiatives are discussed. This is not an exhaustive list, but serves to illustrate potential alternative approaches to gathering and monitoring domestic homicide or femicide data for the purposes of learning from these deaths.

6.1 Homicide monitors

Finland established the Finnish homicide monitor (FHM) in 2002, maintained by the University of Helsinki (Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy), the National Police Board and the Police College Research Unit. The aim of the monitor is "to create a data base for in-depth research, and to serve crime prevention and prevention targeting purposes" (EIGE nd). The aim is similar to DHRs, with a focus on prevention, although not necessarily specific to domestic abuse. Nevertheless, the database does contain information on the relationship between the victim and perpetrator as well as demographic variables and characteristics of the homicides committed. It is used by organisations working on gender-based violence as a data source, and has also served as evidence for research on domestic homicide (see for example Kivivuori and Lehti 2012).

The information included in the FHM is defined by researchers and uses a 'victim-based data architecture', with about 90 variables for each victim being collected (EIGE n.d.a). These variables include information about prior criminal justice contacts of the victim and offender. The data is collected from the chief investigator of each homicide case on a standard electronic form. This form is filled in after the investigation has been concluded or one year after the initiation of the investigation if a case is not concluded within a reasonable time frame. It is compulsory for the investigating officers to fill in the questionnaire.

The FHM is used as the basis for the European homicide monitor (EHM). The EHM partners include Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Estonia and Switzerland. The EHM consists of 85 variables, with each country having their own system of gathering data to include in the monitor. Sweden for example uses police files, verdicts from the court and forensic psychiatric records, while the Netherlands also includes media reports (University of Leiden n.d.).

6.2 France's Delegation for Victims

The delegation for victims (La délégation aux victims) sits with the Ministry of the Interior in France. It is responsible for monitoring policies for supporting victims, proposing actions and assisting victim associations (EIGE n.d. b). The delegation covers all victims of crime, but domestic violence is a key focus. A report is produced annually, together with the Police Nationale and Gendarmerie Nationale, covering intimate partner homicide (Ministère de L'intérieur 2021). It reports on statistics of intimate partner homicide (and its effect on children), including trends and a list of measures taken by the Ministry of Interior to combat domestic violence.

Information for the report is collected by the 'delegation for victims', who issue a questionnaire to the relevant services. Information that is collected includes relationship between victim and perpetrator, where the homicide took place, whether substance abuse was involved and whether there had been a record of previous violence between the victim and perpetrator (Ministère de L'intérieur 2021).