Analysis of Domestic Homicide Reviews shows one in every eight victims were killed by their child or grandchild.

Of the 124 cases (involving 127 deaths) looked at as part of a recently-released Home Office report, 16 were identified as being caused by the son, daughter, or grandchild of the person who died.

Ten deaths were caused by the son of the victim, four by the daughter, and two by a grandchild.

Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) take place after the death of an adult resulting from violence, abuse or neglect by a relative, a partner/former partner, or someone living in the same household. The cases analysed by the Home Office all relate to DHRs from 2019, with most of the incidents having sadly occurred in 2017 and 2018.

Where ‘aggravating factors’ were involved, it was noted that coercive control was a factor in two thirds of cases, with physical stalking in 18% and digital stalking in 8% of cases.

More than 70% of those responsible for the deaths had a vulnerability such using illicit drugs, problematic alcohol use, or mental ill health.

They were known to the police prior to the death in over half of cases and to children’s social services in one in eight cases, with a smaller percentage being known to health, probation, or housing services.

14 of the victims died by suicide which was felt by professionals to be as a direct result of the abuse they were experiencing.

Of the cases where the person responsible has been tried in court and sentenced, 62 were found guilty of murder and 25 of manslaughter, while a verdict of diminished responsibility was given in 9 cases, a different charge applied in a further 9 cases, and the person ruled unfit to plead in 4 cases.

Those given a prison sentence for murder were serving between 11 and 40 years (average 21 years) while those found guilty of manslaughter were given between 3 and 21 years in prison (average 11 years).

As part of the analysis, the Home Office has issued guidance to professionals around reviewing existing practice, keeping good quality information - and shared with other agencies where appropriate - and ensuring frontline practitioners undergo further training.



You can read the full report here.