Review into the death of Deborah

Published April 2024

Summary

The death of a woman in her late 50s, known as ‘Deborah,' for the review. The perpetrator, Deborah's husband, received a 25-year prison sentence for murder.

Issues identified

• Professionals, family and friends were not aware of ongoing abuse in the relationship. Some professionals were aware of historic domestic abuse incidents.
• Deborah and her husband both discussed the impact of COVID-19 on the support the family received before the murder. The review did not identify specific learning.
• The perpetrator had a history of mental health deterioration and alcohol misuse.

Lessons learned

• The importance of appropriate language in recording and assessments.
• The need to raise public awareness of carer stress, coercive control and the Domestic Homicide Timeline.
• The importance of multi-agency safeguarding and information-sharing.

Actions we are taking

• Reviewed agencies' training and policies to ensure a Whole Family Approach.
• Reviewed their policies on responding to threats to family members.
• Completed awareness-raising briefings of the Domestic Homicide Timeline for professionals.

Overview report

DHR Deborah overview report is on the Home Office Domestic Homicide Review Library.