Domestic Homicide

The request was successful.

Dear Essex Police

We are writing to make an open Government request for all the information to which we are entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

With this in mind could you please provide to SAFE CPS the following information:

1. Total number of "Domestic Homicides" in the Essex Force area from 1st January 2015 to 31st December 2015.

a. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were female?
b. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were male?
c. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were under the age of 18?

2. Total number of "Domestic Homicides" in the Essex Force area from 1st January 2014 to 31st December 2014.

a. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were female?
b. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were male?
c. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were under the age of 18?

3. Total number of "Domestic Homicides" in the Essex Force area from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2013.

a. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were female?
b. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were male?
c. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were under the age of 18?

We would like the above information to be provided to us as paper or electronic copies, audio tape version or an opportunity to view.

If this request is too wide or unclear, we would be grateful if you could contact us as we understand that under the Act, you are required to advise and assist requesters. If any of this information is already in the public domain, please can you direct us to this with page references and URLs if necessary.

We understand and recognise the need to safeguard and protect, we ask that if this information cannot be in the public domain then it is shared privately by email - [email address]. If the release of any of this information is prohibited on the grounds of breach of confidence, we ask that you supply us with copies of the confidentiality agreements and remind you that information should not be treated as confidential if such an agreement has been signed.

We understand that you are required to respond to this request within the 20 working days after you receive this letter.

We would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request.

We look forward to hearing from you.
Kindest Regards

SAFE CPS

Data FOI Essex,

1 Attachment

Thank you for your enquiry which has been logged under the above reference.

Under the Freedom of Information Act we are required to reply within 20 working days. The Act does not specify a limit to the number of information requests a public authority may receive or the number of requests or questions an applicant may submit. However, there are exemptions in the Act that can apply and these include where the cost of complying with the request would extend beyond the reasonable cost limit, (currently 18 hours or £450), or if the request is otherwise manifestly unreasonable in its scope or nature.

Requests that ask a great many questions, or a number of detailed requests submitted at the same time, may make it necessary for Essex Police to refuse the requests wholly or in part. The exemption at s14 may be engaged if the burden on the authority is increased through multiple requests on differing subjects

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has responsibility for providing oversight and guidance for the legislation and they have produced advice for applicants on submitting effective requests. Further information can be found on the Commissioner’s website at www.ico.gov.uk specific information relating to submitting a request can be found at: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/offici...

While we process your request, please take the time to consider the ICO’s advice and whether you feel it may be beneficial to amend or refine your request. Our team is happy to discuss your request with you and will be able to provide advice as to what kind of information will be available from Essex Police.

Debra Harrington
Information Officer (Wed – Fri)
Data Protection & Freedom of Information
Information Management
Corporate Services
Essex Police Headquarters
PO Box 2, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM2 6DA

Internal extension 150027
External Dial 101 then ext.150027
Data Protection / FOI Team direct dial: 01245 452647
Fax: 01245 452256 Internal 150045
Email : data[Essex Police request email]
Personal email: [email address]
Website: www.essex.police.uk

Working hours: Wed – Fri 8:00 - 16:00,

show quoted sections

Dear Data FOI Essex,

Please note the name of the requester is Eve Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of SAFE CPS Limited.

Yours sincerely,

SAFE CPS

Data FOI Essex,

1 Attachment

Thank you for your enquiry which has been logged under the above
reference.

Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties
on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at
Sec1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a
request is held. The second duty at Sec1(1)(b) is to disclose information
that has been confirmed as being held. Where exemptions are relied upon
s17 of FOIA requires that we provide the applicant with a notice which: a)
states that fact b) specifies the exemption(s) in question and c) states
(if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.

 

In respect of your enquiry:

 

We are writing to make an open Government request for all the information
to which we are entitled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

With this in mind could you please provide to SAFE CPS the following
information:

 

1. Total number of "Domestic Homicides" in the Essex Force area from 1st
January 2015 to 31st December 2015.

 

a. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were female?

b. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were male?

c. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were under the age of 18?

 

2. Total number of "Domestic Homicides" in the Essex Force area from 1st
January 2014 to 31st December 2014.

 

a. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were female?

b. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were male?

c. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were under the age of 18?

 

3. Total number of "Domestic Homicides" in the Essex Force area from 1st
January 2013 to 31st December 2013.

 

a. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were female?

b. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were male?

c. How many victims of Domestic Homicide were under the age of 18?

 

In respect of Sec 1(1)(a), Essex Police does hold information relating
to your request.

 

I have made enquiries within Essex Police and I can confirm in respect of
Sec 1(1)(b) the below data that has been provided to me in relation to
your FOI submission.

 

Figures for homicides recorded each calendar year are –

 

Male victims of Female victims of domestic Domestic victims
domestic homicide homicide aged under 18
2013 2 3 1
2014 0 2 0
2015 1 5 0

 

 

Please note the following point to caveats that apply in respect of the
data provided –

o They are based on relationship between victim and suspect being one of
a sexual nature or a close family member. It therefore includes
instances where victim and suspect had a relationship that involved
casual sex, mercy killing by aged spouse, and offences between parent
and offspring
o There are some cases that are unsolved and therefore the relationship
between victim and perpetrator is unknown (e.g. decomposed body washed
up on a beach, missing persons considered to have been murdered due to
evidence available). These have been excluded from the figures shown
above
o If there is insufficient evidence to charge, data has been excluded
from the figures

 

 

Please note that the figures provided are as at this point in time, The
above cases may be still under investigation, situations change within
investigations and offences and outcomes are amended accordingly.

 

No further information will be released in respect of the above, as the
duty in Section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not
apply by virtue of the following exemption:

Section 30(3) Investigations;

 

Factors favouring Disclosure for Section 30

Confirming or denying that any information exists relevant to this request
would lead to a better informed public demonstrating that Essex Police
appropriately investigates murder. There is a public interest in the
community being made aware of all the facts relating to this area of
policing in order to ensure complete openness and transparency.
Confirmation or denial would also highlight that police resources are
being utilised to focus on criminal offending.

 

Factors favouring Non-Disclosure for Section 30

The Police Service will never disclose information which could identify
investigative activity and would prejudice any on-going investigations,
this could inform the offenders of the police focus and therefore
undermine their investigations. To do so would hinder the prevention or
detection of crime.

 

In addition details of incidents will contain personal details of
individuals or for the identification of the individual – that information
is never released under FOI as it would breach the data protection rights
of the individuals concerned.

 

FOI section 40(2) Personal information

(2)Any information to which a request for information relates is also
exempt information if—

(a) it constitutes personal data which do not fall within subsection (1) (
 (I.e. - it constitutes the personal data of an individual other than the
applicant)

(b) either the first or the second condition below is satisfied.

(3)The first condition is—

(a) in a case where the information falls within any of paragraphs (a) to
(d) of the definition of “data” in section 1(1) of the Data Protection Act
1998, that the disclosure of the information to a member of the public
otherwise than under this Act would contravene—

(i) any of the data protection principles

In this instance, disclosure of personal information under the FOI Act
would contravene the first data protection principle (Data Protection Act
1998, Schedule 1, para. 1) as set out below.

Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully and, in particular,
shall not be processed unless -

(a) at least one of the conditions in Schedule 2 is met, and

(b) in the case of sensitive personal data, at least one of the conditions
in Schedule 3 is also met.

 

In this instance, disclosure would certainly be unfair to the individual,
and in particular, would not be supported by any condition of schedule 2
or (where relevant) schedule 3 of the Data Protection Act 1998. 

The FOI legislation is intended to supply the general public with official
information about public authorities and their workings.  This does not
extend to information about individuals with whom the public authority has
come into contact.  In general terms, the closer a request focuses upon an
individual the more likely it is that the information will not be suitable
for disclosure under FOI.  Essex Police may disclose the names of persons
who have been charged or convicted of an offence when this is reasonably
contemporaneous and where we consider there is a substantial public
interest in doing so.  However, we cannot be compelled to disclose
sensitive personal data by a request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000.

 

  

Balancing Test

 

The points above highlight the merits of neither confirming nor denying
that information pertinent to this request exists. The Police Service
relies heavily on the public providing information to assist in criminal
investigations and has a duty to protect and defend vulnerable
individuals.  The public has an expectation that any information they
provide will be treated with confidence and in line with the APP
Information Management Module.  Anything which places that confidence at
risk, no matter how generic, would undermine any trust or confidence
individuals have in the Police Service. 

In addition, the effective delivery of operational law enforcement is of
paramount importance to Essex Police in their duty to ensure the
prevention and detection of crime is carried out and the effective
apprehension or prosecution of offenders is maintained.

Therefore, at this moment in time, it is our opinion that for these issues
the balance test for neither confirmation nor denial that any other
information is held pertinent to this request

 

No inference can be drawn from this refusal that information is or isn’t
held.

 

I hope that the information I have provided is of assistance. Thank you
for your interest in Essex Police.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

 

 

Kerry Nicholson
Information Officer
Corporate Services

Essex Police HQ
Internal extension 150028
Direct Dial 01245 452647
Essex Police Non emergency Telephone Number (within Essex) 101 (Outside
Essex) 0300 333 4444
Fax: Internal 150045 External 01245 452256
Website: [1]www.essex.police.uk

Information Management, Corporate Services , Essex Police Headquarters, PO
Box 2, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM2 6DA

[2]cid:image004.jpg@01D1A6B4.D2CEB020

Please note, if you require further information or wish to resubmit a
request please refer to the information found on the Commissioner’s
website regarding submission of effective requests
[3]https://www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/of...

 

Your right to complain

 

If you feel your request has not been properly handled, or you are
otherwise dissatisfied with the outcome of your request you have the right
to complain.

 

Complaints should be submitted within 20 working days from the date of
this response and should be addressed to the Senior Information Officer at
the above address or by email to:  [4]data[Essex Police request email]

 

We will conduct a review to investigate your complaint and endeavour to
reply within 20 working days.

 

Please explain which aspect of the reply you are not satisfied with, and
if your complaint concerns the decision to apply an exemption it would
assist the review if you would outline why you believe the exemption does
not apply.

           

If you are still dissatisfied following our review, you have the right
under section 50 of the Act to complain directly to the Information
Commissioner. Before considering your complaint, the Information
Commissioner would normally expect you to have exhausted the complaints
procedures provided by Essex Police

 

The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF or via [5]https://ico.org.uk/

 

 

 

show quoted sections

Dear Kerry

Would it be possible to clarify your responses to this FOI please.

How many victims were male?
How many victims were female?
How many victims were under the age of 18?

Yours sincerely,

SAFE CPS

Kerry Nicholson 42006441,

1 Attachment

Thank you for your email querying the data, unfortunately the formatting
of the table containing the information seems to have been lost, hopefully
the below will clarify the data provided.

 

 

Figures for homicides recorded each calendar year are –

 

Male victims of Female victims of domestic Domestic victims
domestic homicide homicide aged under 18
2013 2 3 1
2014 0 2 0
2015 1 5 0

 

 

I trust that the information I have provided is of assistance. Thank you
for your interest in Essex Police.

 

Kind regards,

 

 

 

Kerry Nicholson
Information Officer
Corporate Services

Essex Police HQ
Internal extension 150028
Direct Dial 01245 452647
Essex Police Non emergency Telephone Number (within Essex) 101 (Outside
Essex) 0300 333 4444
Fax: Internal 150045 External 01245 452256
Website: [1]www.essex.police.uk

Information Management, Corporate Services , Essex Police Headquarters, PO
Box 2, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM2 6DA

Please note, if you require further information or wish to resubmit a
request please refer to the information found on the Commissioner’s
website regarding submission of effective requests
[2]https://www.ico.org.uk/for_the_public/of...

 

Your right to complain

 

If you feel your request has not been properly handled, or you are
otherwise dissatisfied with the outcome of your request you have the right
to complain.

 

Complaints should be submitted within 20 working days from the date of
this response and should be addressed to the Senior Information Officer at
the above address or by email to:  [3]data[Essex Police request email]

 

We will conduct a review to investigate your complaint and endeavour to
reply within 20 working days.

 

Please explain which aspect of the reply you are not satisfied with, and
if your complaint concerns the decision to apply an exemption it would
assist the review if you would outline why you believe the exemption does
not apply.

           

If you are still dissatisfied following our review, you have the right
under section 50 of the Act to complain directly to the Information
Commissioner. Before considering your complaint, the Information
Commissioner would normally expect you to have exhausted the complaints
procedures provided by Essex Police

 

The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9
5AF or via [4]https://ico.org.uk/

 

 

 

show quoted sections

J Roberts left an annotation ()

Domestic Abuse Commissioner 5/12/23:

Services should do more to stop domestic abuse killings, says Domestic Abuse Commissioner

'Fifty two per cent of victims had already had contact with the police before they were killed, according to one of the reports which looked at 46 reviews which made recommendations for criminal justice agencies like the police or probation. Fifty seven per cent of perpetrators had criminal records for domestic abuse offences before killing their victim.'

https://domesticabusecommissioner.uk/ser...

CPS 8/12/23:

'Police chiefs, the College of Policing and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are today announcing a joint commitment to transforming how they investigate, handle and prosecute domestic abuse to ensure victims are better supported, timeliness is improved, and more offenders are brought to justice.'

https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/national...

Domestic Abuse Watch:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/d...