Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews

Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDRs) previously called Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) were established on a statutory basis under Section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act (2004) and brought into effect on 13 April 2011.

In June 2023 the Home Office launched a public consultation, one element of which sought responses in regard to the naming of Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs). The consultation considered whether the term ‘homicide’ should be amended in DHRs to reflect the range of the deaths which fall within the scope of a review, such as suicides related to domestic abuse, and other domestic abuse related deaths.

Following the consultation, the Home Office confirmed that DHRs would be renamed to Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDRs) and tabled an amendment to the Victims and Prisoners Bill.

The Victims and Prisoners Bill received Royal Assent on 24 May 2024 and the name change has been confirmed at Part 1 Section 19 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024.

Purpose of a DARDR

DARDRs are carried out by Community Safety Partnerships and take place when the death, including a suicide, of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by:

  • a relative
  • a household member
  • someone the person had been in an intimate relationship with

A DARDRs purpose is to:

  • review the circumstances leading to the death
  • consider where responses can be improved in the future
  • identify any best practice to share

Aim of a DARDR

A Domestic Abuse Related Death Review aims to:

  • establish what lessons can be learnt about how local professionals and organisations work individually and together to safeguard victims
  • identify clearly:
    • what those lessons are, both within and between agencies
    • the timescales they will be acted on
    • what is expected to change to reduce the risk of similar events.
  • apply the lessons to service responses, including changes to policies and procedures, as appropriate.
  • help services work to prevent domestic violence and improve service responses for all victims and their children through improved intra- and inter-agency working.

A DARDR is not an inquiry into how someone died or who is to blame. It is not part of any disciplinary process.

They are an addition to, not in replacement of, an inquest or any other form of inquiry into the death.

Process

If a DARDR is thought to have occurred in Hampshire, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, or another agency will notify the appropriate Hampshire Community Safety Partnership. A decision is made by the CSP about whether to complete a DARDR using the Home Office statutory guidance.

A multi agency review panel, led by an independent chair is established for each review and comprises members of local statutory and voluntary agencies. A DARDR will usually draw upon information obtained from:

  • interviewing family members
  • interviewing significant people who may have known the victim
  • obtaining information from participating agencies, either by way of an Individual Management Review (IMR), or by other means such as a chronology of events

In Hampshire each Community Safety Partnership will publish reports of local DARDRs. In accordance with the statutory guidance, reports are anonymised to protect the identity of individuals subject to the review. You can access statutory guidance for the conduct of reviews on the Home Office website.

Advice and information

Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA) provide support and guidance to families and friends who have lost a loved one after a fatal domestic abuse related death. The charity also provides information and advice for professionals. AAFDA have also produced a range of resources including videos and leaflets that are available in several languages including Urdu, Punjabi, Portuguese, Polish, Lithuanian, Romanian, Dutch, Hungarian and Spanish.

Learning

Search the Domestic Homicide Review Library created by the Home Office

Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews published for Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton from the Home Office DARDR List.

Learning Legacies: An Analysis Of Domestic Homicide Reviews In Cases Of Domestic Abuse Suicide  

Domestic Abuse and Suicide Toolkit AAFDA  

Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme Domestic Homicides Project