Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) were established on a statutory basis under section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 and came into force on 13 April 2011.

Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) are responsible for undertaking DHRs where the death 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 he or she has been in an intimate relationship with

A review panel, led by an independent chair and consisting of representatives from statutory and voluntary agencies is commissioned to undertake the DHR. The panel reviews each agency’s involvement in the case and makes recommendations to improve responses in the future. The panel also consider information from the victim’s –

• family
• friends
• work colleagues

DHRs are not enquiries into how someone died or who is to blame or whether they form part of a disciplinary process. They do not replace, but are in addition to, an inquest and any other form of enquiry into a homicide.

The purpose of DHRs is to consider the circumstances that led to the death and to identify where responses to the situation could be improved in the future. Lessons learned from the reviews help agencies to improve their response to domestic abuse and to work better together to prevent such tragedies from occurring again.

 

The Home Office has published statutory guidance on how to complete DHRs.

Visit the GOV.UK website for more information

The Home Office has also published a report on common themes identified as lessons to be learned from DHRs.

Visit the GOV.UK website for find out more about the key findings

Sheffield publishes the DHRs it has undertaken on this webpage. Please contact DACT@sheffield.gov.uk with any queries about DHRs.

DHR Guidance – Revised August 2020

The most recent DHR was undertaken on behalf of Kirsten (Adult V). Read the learning brief here  

The most recent DHR newsletter was from November 2023. Read it here. The previous versions from August 2023, May 2023, February 2023, November 2022 and August 2022 are also still available.

Alternatively, Click here to access the learning briefs for Domestic Homicide Reviews and Serious Incident Reviews that have been undertaken previously.