Domestic Homicide Review (DHR)
What is a DHR
Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) were established on a statutory basis under the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004.
Domestic Homicide Review means a review of the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by:
- a person to whom he was related or with whom he was or had been in an intimate personal relationship
- a member of the same household as himself
The statutory DHR guidance also outlines that where a victim takes their own life (suicide) and the circumstances give rise to concern, for example it emerges that there was coercive controlling behaviour in the relationship; a DHR should be undertaken, even if a suspect is not charged with an offence or they are tried and acquitted.
Purpose of a DHR
The purpose of a DHR is to:
- establish what lessons are to be learned from the domestic homicide regarding the way in which local professionals and organisations work individually and together to safeguard victims
- identify clearly what those lessons are both within and between agencies, how and within what timescales they will be acted on, and what is expected to change as a result
- apply these lessons to service responses including changes to inform national and local policies and procedures as appropriate
- prevent domestic violence and homicide and improve service responses for all the domestic violence and abuse victims and their children by developing a co-ordinated multi-agency approach to ensure that domestic abuse is identified and responded to effectively at the earliest opportunity
- contribute to a better understanding of the nature of domestic violence and abuse
- highlight good practice
Training webinar
The following webinar aims to give professionals an overview of a DHR and what the expectations are if you are a panel member.
Webinar duration: 51 minutes
