FAMILY AND DOMESTIC HOMICIDE DATA SOURCES

This page contains information about publically available sources of family and domestic homicide data at the national and state and territory levels, including:

• a brief description of the data source, including the overarching policy or statistical objectives; and
• electronic links to any reports or published family and domestic homicide statistics.

It is recommended that readers requiring additional information about the listed data sources (e.g. collection methodology, definitions of family and domestic homicide, data items collected, system or data access) contact the source agencies directly.

Whilst the page covers key publically available data sources, it does not constitute an exhaustive catalogue of all sources of family and domestic homicide data. Furthermore, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is not responsible for the accuracy and quality of the statistics produced by other organisations and agencies. The inclusion of a particular data source on this page does not imply ABS endorsement of the statistical methodology and standards utilised.

Australian Domestic and Family Violence Death Review Network
National Coronial Information System
New South Wales Coroner’s Court - Domestic Violence Death Review Team
Victoria Coroner’s Court – Systemic Review of Family Violence Deaths
Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Death Review Unit
South Australia Coronial Domestic Violence Information System
Western Australia Family and Domestic Violence Fatality Review

AUSTRALIAN DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE DEATH REVIEW NETWORK

The Australian Domestic and Family Violence Death Review Network - established in 2011 as an initiative of state and territory death review processes - comprises permanent representatives from each of the established Australian domestic and family violence death review teams. Network members have specialist expertise in domestic and family violence related issues and access to extensive information pertaining to domestic and family violence deaths.

The Network’s goals include producing national data concerning domestic and family violence related homicides in accordance with the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2010-2022.

In recent years, the Network has undertaken extensive work to develop a National Minimum Dataset of domestic and family violence related deaths and presents key findings from this specialised dataset.

The Network’s 2018 report provides detailed data on intimate partner homicides that have occurred across Australia between 2010 and 2014.

http://www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au/find/publications/australian+domestic+and+family+violence+death+review+network

NATIONAL CORONIAL INFORMATION SYSTEM

The National Coronial Information System (NCIS) - launched in 2000 - is a data repository for Coroners containing information about deaths reported (to a Coroner) in Australia or New Zealand. The objective of the NCIS is to securely share case information across state and territory borders, for the purpose of coronial investigation and death prevention, and includes the following types of medico-legal data:

• demographic information about the deceased;
• contextual information about the nature of the fatality and full text reports of coronial findings;
• post mortem and toxicology reports; and
• police notification of death reports.

Whilst family and domestic violence is not specifically defined within the NCIS database, possible cases of family and domestic violence are coded with an intent code of ‘assault’, and a perpetrator relationship that indicates an existing or prior familial relationship between the perpetrator and the deceased.

Access to data contained on the NCIS is available to authorised users, allowing them to view coronial case information via an online interface.

http://www.ncis.org.au/

NEW SOUTH WALES CORONER'S COURT - DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DEATH REVIEW TEAM

The Domestic Violence Death Review Team was established in July 2010 under the Coroners Act 2009 (NSW). The Team’s overarching objective is to examine domestic violence related deaths so as to reduce the incidence of such deaths and to facilitate improvements in systems and services.

The Team undertakes quantitative and qualitative analyses of domestic violence related deaths and synthesises the information derived from these review processes to develop findings and recommendations for implementation by government and non-government agencies.

The Team reports to Parliament on domestic violence deaths reviewed in the previous year.

http://www.coroners.justice.nsw.gov.au/Pages/Publications/dv_annual_reports.aspx

VICTORIA CORONER'S COURT - SYSTEMIC REVIEW OF FAMILY VIOLENCE DEATHS

This Victorian Systemic Review of Family Violence Deaths (VSRFVD) commenced operation in the Coroners Court of Victoria in 2009. Led by the State Coroner, the VSRFVD examines deaths that occur in family violence contexts, among both intimate partners and other family members, and strives to improve understanding as to why these events occur and how they might be prevented.

The first report, released in 2012, presents detailed findings from the two main activities of the VSRFVD – data collection and analysis, and in-depth case review.

http://www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au/find/publications/victorian+systemic+review+of+family+violence+deaths+first+report

Furthermore, the Coroners Court of Victoria annual report publishes homicide statistics broken down by relationship, including intimate partner, parent-child, and other intimate or familial relationships.

http://www.coronerscourt.vic.gov.au/find/publications/

QUEENSLAND DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE DEATH REVIEW UNIT

Established in 2011 in the Coroners Court of Queensland, the Domestic and Family Violence Death Review Unit (DFVDRU) is responsible for the systemic surveillance and monitoring of relevant categories of reportable deaths (homicides, suicides and homicide-suicides), the collation of data and statistics, and undertaking research to inform the investigation and review of these deaths.

Data is collated and analysed by the DFVDRU as the coronial investigation of a relevant reportable death progresses and as additional information becomes available.

The DFVDRU also maintains a dataset of all homicides that have occurred within an intimate partner or family relationship in Queensland since 2006 to assist in the monitoring and identification of any patterns or trends in these types of deaths. The Queensland Domestic and Family Homicide Statistical Overview provides a snapshot of data from this dataset from 1 July 2006 to 28 February 2018.

While requests for data can be made to the DFVDRU, approval for the release of this information is largely based on whether the data will be used to inform policy or practices that aim to prevent or reduce future domestic and family violence related deaths.

Requests for data or information held by the DFVDRU should be submitted to the Manager, via Coroner.DFVDRU@justice.qld.gov.au

https://www.courts.qld.gov.au/courts/coroners-court/review-of-deaths-from-domestic-and-family-violence

SOUTH AUSTRALIA CORONIAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INFORMATION SYSTEM

In May 2015, the South Australian Government established the Coronial Domestic Violence Information System (CDVIS), which incorporates over 120 different perpetrator and victim-specific variables and provides for the recording of data and tracking of emerging trends.

The objective of the CDVIS is to utilise the unique nature of the data recorded to support evidence-based decision making in policies and programs to reduce violence against women and their children.

Preliminary prevalence data from the CDVIS is reported in the South Australian State Coroners’ 2015-16 Annual Report, as tabled in South Australian Parliament.

More information about the coronial domestic violence death review process in South Australia is available at the following web page:

https://www.officeforwomen.sa.gov.au/womens-policy/womens-safety/coroners-research-position

WESTERN AUSTRALIA FAMILY AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FATALITY REVIEW

On 1 July 2012, the Western Australia Ombudsman commenced its function of reviewing child deaths and family and domestic violence (FDV) fatalities.

Based on information provided by Western Australia Police of all family and domestic violence and child fatalities, the Ombudsman reviews the circumstances of the reported death; seeks to identify any emerging patterns and trends relating to child and FDV deaths; and puts forward recommendations to public authorities about ways to prevent or reduce child and FDV deaths.

Analysis of family and domestic violence fatalities are presented in the Family and Domestic Violence Fatality Review section of the Ombudsman Western Australia Annual Report:

http://www.ombudsman.wa.gov.au/Publications/Annual_Reports.htm