Review into the death of Marie

Published June 2024

Summary

The death of a woman in her late 20s, known as ‘Marie,' for the review. The perpetrator received a sentence of life imprisonment for her murder.

Issues identified

• Marie experienced coercive control as well as physical violence. Marie experienced emotional abuse, humiliation, and intimidation.
• The perpetrator used Marie’s mental health to control and manipulate her. He told her that he would have their child removed from her care if she reported the abuse.
• This case demonstrated several examples of stages of the Domestic Homicide Timeline.

Lessons learned

• Health agencies are often the only service that a victim is engaging with. They have an important role in encouraging disclosures of domestic abuse.
• Agencies need to review their 'Did Not Attend policies' to support engagement.
• The importance of understanding the risk during and shortly after separation.

Actions we are taking

• Completing awareness-raising briefings of the Domestic Homicide Timeline for professionals.
• Raising awareness of different types of domestic abuse and the specialist services available.
• Asking all agencies to review their 'Did Not Attend' policies.

Overview report

This report is not yet on the online Home Office Domestic Homicide Review Library. For a copy of the report, email SafeinEastSussex@eastsussex.gov.uk