Risk factors for Intimate Partner Homicide in England and Wales

Intimate partner homicides are often situated within the context of domestic abuse, and although less prevalent than domestic abuse, there has been several multi-agency approaches to understanding the risk for these fatal crimes. Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) were introduced in 2011 to provide information to help with assessing such risk. This paper aims to analyse DHRs in England and Wales to investigate/determine risk factors for domestic homicide following intimate partner abuse. All publicly available DHRs published between July 2011 and November 2020 where the victim and perpetrator were or had been intimate partners (N=263) were retrieved from Community Safety Partnership websites in England and Wales. A quantitative design was used to extract data from DHRs, and descriptive and inferential statistics were generated by SPSS 26. Findings identified risk factors relating to domestic abuse, including stalking, separation, and the victim being in a new relationship. Socio-demographic risk factors included higher levels of deprivation, lower income and higher barriers to housing and services. This highlights the role of both individual and socio-demographic factors in domestic homicides, and particularly the need for greater socio-economic security for victims of domestic abuse. In conclusion, though much of the data is in line with previous research, our analysis highlights the pivotal role of regional poverty, with comfortable socio-economic conditions offering protection against intimate partner homicides. This research suggests important directions for future research, and makes a valuable contribution to a more in-depth understanding of the relationship between domestic abuse and intimate partner homicide. What is known • Domestic homicide reviews are available to help in assessing risk • Perpetrator mental health is a key factor in domestic homicides • Stalking features in the majority of domestic homicide cases What this adds • Draws upon the largest sample of DHRs used in research to date • Deepens our understanding of the relationship between domestic abuse and intimate partner homicide • Informs future research and support service