Intimate Partner Homicide in England and Wales 2011–2013: Pathways to Prediction from Multi-agency Domestic Homicide Reviews

Abstract

Research Question What pathways to more accurate prediction of intimate partner homicide (IPH) can be found by reviewing two years of official Domestic Homicide Reviews in England and Wales? Data This study conducted a detailed review of investigative source material, police database information and the official independent author reviews of the 188 cases of intimate partner homicide recorded in England and Wales between April 2011 and March 2013. Methods Descriptive analytical techniques were used to explore the prevalence of various characteristics of victims, offenders and relationships in these cases, with special attention given to offender suicide ideation as a precursor to the crimes. Findings Offenders in these cases were 86% male, with high rates of both chronic substance abuse (61%) and prior reported offending (50%) against their homicide victim. The most disproportionately prevalent characteristic appears to be that 40% of the male offenders were known by someone, but often not to police, as suffering suicidal ideation, self-harm or attempted suicides. The prevalence of that marker, while not measureable in the general population, is over four times higher than the pre-offence police indications of suicidal tendencies across 80 domestic homicides in Leicestershire (Button et al., 2017). Conclusions It is plausible that many more intimate partner homicides might be accurately predicted, and perhaps prevented, with more public investment in obtaining data on suicidal indicators and more proactive treatment of domestic abuse offenders known to suffer suicidal tendencies.

Taxonomía de los Homicidios de Mujeres en las Relaciones de Pareja

“…Por ejemplo, Sebire (2017) encontró que un 47% de los homicidios de pareja cometidos en Londres en una década no contaban con ningún registro policial previo. El análisis de 188 homicidios de pareja perpetrados en Inglaterra y Gales registró un porcentaje de violencia previa del 36.4% (Bridger et al, 2017). Otros trabajos han señalado porcentajes inferiores, en torno al 30% (Murphy, Liddell y Bugeja, 2016;Varnar et al, 2017).…”

“…La prevalencia de violencia previa en los HCP presenta un amplio margen, en función de los estudios, que se sitúa entre el 30-70% (Aguilar, 2017;Bridger et al, 2017;Campbell et al, 2007;Flynn, Gask, Appleby y Shaw, 2016). En un sentido paralelo, estudios de metaanálisis muestran cómo algunos trastornos psiquiátricos están asociados con una alta prevalencia y mayor riesgo de ejercer y ser víctima de violencia grave por parte de la pareja, tanto en hombres como en mujeres (Oram, Trevillion, Khalifeh, Feder y Howard, 2014).…”

Predicting Domestic Homicide and Serious Violence in Leicestershire with Intelligence Records of Suicidal Ideation or Self-Harm Warnings: a Retrospective Analysis

“…Crucially, these facts were not necessarily known by police prior to the murders, but they were known to someone: family, medical professionals or others who may not have been legally allowed to share the information unless and until a murder occurred. Thornton (2017) and Chalkley (2017) found elevated, but much lower rates of suicide and self-harm markers than Bridger (2015Bridger ( , 2017 in the Police National Computer (PNC) records on offenders in a broader range of serious violence. While their studies include all domestic homicides in a multi-year period in their police areas, the majority of the offenders they included had tried but failed to kill someone in a domestic relationship to them.…”

“…Recent research (Thornton 2011(Thornton , 2017Bridger 2015Bridger , 2017Chalkley 2015Chalkley , 2017 suggests that one warning marker of serious domestic abuse may be suicidal ideation or threats of self-harm by an offender. From his review of national data on domestic intimate partner homicide, for example, Bridger (2015Bridger ( , 2017 identified suicidal ideation in 38.6% of offenders, and 40% of all male offenders.…”

“…From his review of national data on domestic intimate partner homicide, for example, Bridger (2015Bridger ( , 2017 identified suicidal ideation in 38.6% of offenders, and 40% of all male offenders. Crucially, these facts were not necessarily known by police prior to the murders, but they were known to someone: family, medical professionals or others who may not have been legally allowed to share the information unless and until a murder occurred.…”