Community safety and crime prevention

Domestic Homicide Reviews

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

This provision came into force on 13 April 2011.

The purpose of a DHR is to:

  • establish what lessons are to be learned from the domestic homicide regarding the way in which local professionals and organisations work individually and together to safeguard victims
  • identify clearly what those lessons are both within and between agencies, how and within what timescales they will be acted on, and what is expected to change as a result
  • apply these lessons to service responses including changes to policies and procedures as appropriate
  • prevent domestic violence homicide and improve service responses for all domestic violence victims and their children through improved intra and inter-agency working

DHRs are not inquiries into how the victim died or into who is culpable; that is a matter for coroners and criminal courts, respectively, to determine as appropriate. 

The review process is to ensure agencies are responding appropriately to victims of domestic violence by offering and putting in place appropriate support mechanisms, procedures, resources and interventions with an aim to avoid future incidents of domestic homicide and violence.

Published Havering DHRs

We express our deep condolences to the family and friends of Ava and Oliver.

Their deaths were, and remain, devastating to the staff involved and for all community safety partners.

Any circumstances like the ones in which Ava and Oliver died must be thoroughly investigated and reviewed so that we can understand what went wrong and what needs to be done differently to prevent something similar from happening again.  

We have acted on all the key issues raised as a result of the investigations, inquest and this review.

This includes adapting how we manage risk assessment and mental capacity, as well as changes to our management of safeguarding adult work.

We have improved our joint working arrangements with NELFT services so that where both organisations are involved with the care of a family we share the right information to reduce any risks and to safeguard more effectively together.

Community safety partners deal with life and death situations every day.

We all share a passionate commitment to do everything we can to protect lives and keep people safe.

While Ava’s and Oliver’s deaths were not predictable, there is much learning to do as a result of those tragic circumstances for our partnership.

We are committed to implementing that learning immediately.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Debbie.

Her loss has had a profound impact on all of us across the community safety partnership.

Debbie’s death was, and remains, a deeply tragic event.

Incidents of this nature demand thorough investigation and reflection to understand what went wrong and to identify how we can strengthen our collective response to prevent such tragedies in the future.

We have taken forward all the key findings and recommendations arising from the investigations, the inquest, and this review.

Our commitment to learning and improvement is unwavering.

Those working in community safety face complex and often life-critical situations every day.

We are united in our determination to do everything possible to protect lives and keep people safe.

While Debbie’s death was not deemed predictable, it has highlighted important areas for learning.

We are committed to acting on those lessons without delay.