Review into the death of Annette

Published June 2024

Summary

The death of a woman in her late 30s, known as ‘Annette,' for the review. The perpetrator received a 22-year prison sentence for murder.

Issues identified

• Annette was a vulnerable woman with complex health needs. Annette received support from social services and housing authorities. The perpetrator took advantage of this.
• Services were not aware of the perpetrator, his needs or the risk he posed.
• Annette was a victim of 'cuckooing'. This is when 'criminals or gangs take over a local property, normally belonging to a vulnerable person, and use it to operate their criminal activity from' (National Crime Agency).

Lessons learned

• The importance of holistic multi-agency working and information-sharing to safeguard vulnerable people.
• The importance of appropriate language in recording and assessments.
• The need to raise awareness of "cuckooing" across all agencies and safeguarding teams.

Actions we are taking

• Increased information sharing links between GP practices and safeguarding mechanisms.
• Linked in with learning from other reviews across Sussex. This ensures use of more trauma-informed language.
• Incorporated "cuckooing" into multi-agency safeguarding training.

Overview report

The full overview report will not be published. For a copy of the executive summary, email SafeinEastSussex@eastsussex.gov.uk