Clause 7 - Establishment and conduct of reviews
Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill [Lords]
9:45 am
Mr Hilton Dawson (Lancaster and Wyre, Labour)
If amendments Nos. 85 and 86 were passed, the definition of domestic homicide review under clause 7(1) would be a review of the circumstances in which the death or suicide of an adult or child had, or appeared to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by the categories of persons listed—those with close personal relationships to the individual, or members of the same household.
Liberal Democrat Members have tabled amendment No. 48. I think that we are trying to shift things in the same direction, although I would not put the same reliance on part 8 reviews. Part 8 reviews are serious case reviews undertaken following the death of a child known to child protection services. However, they were criticised by Lord Laming in his report following the Victoria Climbié inquiry. I hope that we can move to the sort of system recommended by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, involving the establishment of independent multidisciplinary child death review teams to review all child deaths systematically.
That is an argument for another day, but it sets the scene for the debate, and my argument is that although the proposal for domestic homicide review is tragically welcome, it misses an opportunity to join up policy across the whole grim area of domestic violence, adult homicide, suicide and the murder of children. I hope that we may, by taking on the amendments, give full coverage of situations in which one parent kills the other, children are killed by a parent during a contact visit, or the violent parent—or, indeed, the victim of domestic violence—commits suicide.
I am grateful for the support from all corners of the Room for my amendments. I am also grateful for the work of Women's Aid and, above all, the assiduous commitment of its children's policy officer, Hilary Saunders, who has debated the issue with many of us on many occasions. We had a good opportunity on Monday to discuss this matter informally with my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary, who gave a sympathetic and caring response.
The amendments are an attempt to ensure that all deaths, in all circumstances of violence, abuse and neglect by those specified in clause 7(1)(a) and (b), will be properly reviewed. The end purpose is to ensure that lessons can be learned. In the briefing for the Bill, Hilary Saunders thoroughly dissects the part 8 review in relation to the death of a 12-year-old boy, Tony Bangs. That analysis is instructive. There had been considerable concern about domestic violence in that case, but the professionals and even the author of the part 8 review assumed that the separation of a parent would make mother and child safer.
Some of us have encountered such cases—I certainly have—and expressed huge relief when the
perpetrator of domestic violence left or was removed from a fraught and worrying family situation. One is tempted, largely on the grounds of reasonable common sense, to think that things will be better when that happens. However, as Women's Aid points out, the time of separation is precisely one of the most dangerous periods of all and can typically lead to even greater acts of violence on the part of the perpetrator towards women or children.
That is a good example of how knowledge of domestic violence can assist professionals reviewing such situations to develop and improve practice and to ensure that women and children are better protected in future. I look forward to hearing the comments of other hon. Members and hope for a positive response from the Solicitor-General.