Domestic Homicide Review process
What happens during a review in Scotland.
What a Domestic Homicide Review is
A Domestic Homicide Review may happen after someone dies in circumstances related to domestic abuse.
A review helps us understand what happened and whether more could be done to protect and support those subjected to domestic abuse. This learning can be used to help prevent future deaths.
A review looks at information from organisations that may have been in contact with the person who died, the person responsible for the death, or both.
It also draws on information from families, close friends, neighbours, employers and colleagues.
A Domestic Homicide Review is not about blame. It is not an investigation into how someone died. The focus is on learning to help prevent domestic abuse and domestic abuse-related deaths.
Taking part is voluntary.
Family members and others who knew the person can choose how much or how little they want to be involved. Some may want to share detailed experiences. Others may prefer limited involvement, or none at all. These choices will be respected throughout the review.
Dedicated advocacy support is available for families and children. If you would like more information about the service from Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse you can email: dhsrmodel@gov.scot.
The types of death covered by a Domestic Homicide Review
A Domestic Homicide Review will look at deaths involving:
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someone killed by a partner or ex-partner
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children of the person responsible for the death (children of any age)
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children of the partner or ex-partner of the person responsible (children of any age)
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a young person (up to 18, or up to 26 if previously looked after by the state) living in the household of the person responsible or their partner or ex-partner, where there was domestic abuse between the accused person and a current or former partner
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cases of violent resistance, where a victim of domestic abuse kills their abusive partner or ex-partner
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connected deaths of children and young people (those up to 18, or up to 26 if previously looked after by the state) killed in the context of domestic abuse, whether or not they are related to the victim or the person responsible
Who decides if a Domestic Homicide Review takes place
Usually, the police will notify the Domestic Homicide and Suicide Review Oversight Committee when a death is known or suspected to be related to domestic abuse.
The Scottish Government set up the Review Oversight Committee, but it operates independently. It has a chair and deputy, and experts in domestic abuse and related areas.
The Review Oversight Committee considers the information available and decides whether a review should take place.
Make a referral
If you think a family member's death may be related to domestic abuse, you can contact the Scottish Ministers. They will refer it to the review oversight committee.
This also applies if someone from Scotland has been killed elsewhere in the UK or overseas.
To ask Scottish Ministers to make a referral you can email: dhsrmodel@gov.scot. Advice and support will be provided to anyone who gets in touch.
The review panel
A publicly appointed chair leads each review, supported by an independent panel of experts from different organisations.
The review panel can include representatives from the police, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, social work and a relevant victims' organisations. Other experts may include those with knowledge of aspects relevant to the case, such as disability or cultural awareness.
Experts contribute their knowledge. They are not there to investigate what happened or to place blame on anyone.
Joint reviews
A joint review means families do not have to tell their story more than once.
The review oversight committee will consider whether a joint review would be appropriate. This might be where the death meets the criteria for another type of review, such as an adult support and protection or child protection learning review.
Who can contribute to the review
The review does not rely only on agency records. Families, friends and members of the wider community can also take part. They can choose how they get involved. For example, through conversations, in writing or sharing information in any way that feels manageable to them.
This can help the review panel better understand the reality of the person who died. It may cover the challenges they faced and barriers that prevented them from seeking support. This will help make meaningful recommendations to prevent domestic abuse and domestic abuse-related deaths.
Taking part is voluntary. Information shared will be treated with great sensitivity. The chair and review panel will respect the wishes about how people want - or do not want - to be involved.
If family or friends decide to take part, the chair will work with them to agree what details may be included in the review.
A dedicated advocate can listen and support families, including children, at every stage of the process to make sure they are heard and respected.
Timescales
Reviews are generally set up shortly after a death. Most aim to finish within 12 months of being established. Some may take longer, depending on the circumstances of the case and any related legal proceedings.
The chair will keep families updated throughout the process, in the way and at the frequency they choose.
What happens at the end of the review
After gathering all relevant information, the review panel will produce a report setting out what happened, including any support options that were available but not pursued.
The chair will explain to families what information may appear in any published report or summary.
The chair will take care to avoid identifying people in the report. The report may describe where contributions came from - for example, 'from a family member'. The chair will work to find the most discreet way of referring to the contribution, such as describing it as coming 'from the community'. If needed, the report can state ‘the review has heard ...’ without giving a source.
Families will have the opportunity to meet the chair to go through a draft of the report, to check for accuracy and ensure they are satisfied with the information in it. This can be a difficult experience, and people will not be rushed.
If they are not satisfied with the accuracy of the report or other information provided, the chair will work with them to resolve this. The chair will also talk with families about the learning points and recommended actions to gather their feedback.
A summary will be published on gov.scot. The publication date will be agreed with families.
After the review, the Scottish Government will monitor how the recommended actions are being put in place and assess the difference they are making.
A report will be prepared for the Scottish Parliament every two years, setting out main learning themes and organisational progress on recommendations at a local and national level.
Further information and support
Thank you for taking the time to read this information.
We recognise that every bereavement is different and that involvement in a review may feel difficult. People can choose the level of involvement that feels right for them and can change this at any stage of the process.
More information is available at Domestic Homicide and Suicide Review resources.
Support is also available from:
If you have questions about the review process or want more information about the advocacy service, you can email: dhsrmodel@gov.scot.
Contact
Email: dhsrmodel@gov.scot