FOI domestic violence homicide offences

The request was partially successful.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I would like to receive information regarding offences recorded as domestic homicides by the police force from 2014-15 to 2016-17 (i.e. 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17).

Specifically, I would like to know:

1 – How many domestic homicide offences have been recorded by the police force from 2014-15 to 2016-17?

2 – In each of these domestic homicide offences, was there one or more previous calls to police flagged with a domestic violence marker?

For example:

2014-15 to 2016-17
Total domestic homicide offences: 10
Domestic homicide offences with previous DV flagged call: 7

I would like to receive this information in MS Excel format.

If this request is too wide or unclear, I would be grateful if you could contact me as I 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 me to it, with page references and URLs if necessary.

I understand that you are required to respond to my request within the 20 working days after you receive this letter. I would be grateful if you could confirm in writing that you have received this request.

Yours faithfully,
Emma Youle

#Freedom of Information Requests, Avon and Somerset Constabulary

Thank you for your request for information. Your request will now be considered and you will receive a response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act. In some circumstances Avon and Somerset Constabulary may be unable to achieve this deadline if consideration needs to be given to the public interest test. If this is likely you will be informed and given a revised time-scale at the earliest opportunity.

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#Freedom of Information Requests, Avon and Somerset Constabulary

 

 

Corporate Communications Department

Force Headquarters, PO Box 37, Valley Road,

Portishead, Bristol, BS20 8QJ

Facsimile 01275 814667

    

Emma Youle Our Reference 1527/18

[FOI #535507 email] Date 28 November

 

 

Dear Ms Youle

 

Thank you for your request which I have copied below. In order for us to
provide you with the information you require some clarification is
necessary.

 

I would like to receive information regarding offences recorded as
domestic homicides by the police force from 2014-15 to 2016-17 (i.e.
2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17).

 

Specifically, I would like to know:

 

1 – How many domestic homicide offences have been recorded by the police
force from 2014-15 to 2016-17?

 

2 – In each of these domestic homicide offences, was there one or more
previous calls to police flagged with a domestic violence marker?

 

For example:

 

2014-15 to 2016-17

Total domestic homicide offences: 10

Domestic homicide offences with previous DV flagged call: 7

 

Please can you clarify what particular information you are seeking in your
questions. Can you please provide us with a definition for domestic
homicide?

 

In relation to question 2, can you please clarify are you referring to
calls made by the victims of homicide, that were flagged with a domestic
violence marker against the person who committed the murder? If so over
what time period do you require for example any calls made by the victim
up to one month before the murder?

 

I will be unable to start to process your request until I have received
your clarification. If your clarification is not received within 20
working days this request will be closed.

Yours sincerely,

 

Mark Ratajczak

 

Freedom of Information Research Officer

Corporate Communications Department

 

Please note;

1.     Requests and responses may be published on Avon and Somerset
Constabulary’s website (within 24 hours), some of which may contain a link
to additional information, which may provide you with further
clarification.

2.     Whilst we may verbally discuss your request with you in order to
seek clarification, all other communication should be made in writing.

3.     Avon and Somerset Constabulary provides you with the right to
request a re-examination of your case under its review procedure.

 

 

Dear Mark,

Thanks for your message.

In regards to Question 1 and domestic homicide, please see the Domestic Abuse in England & Wales, year ending March 2018 - Appendix tables at the link below and see Table 14.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationa...

Table 14 shows data for offences currently recorded as homicide by police force area, English regions and Wales, by whether it was a domestic homicide, combined data year ending March 2015 to year ending March 2017.

The definition given for domestic homicide is:

“Domestic” homicides from the Homicide Index include any homicide where the relationship between an adult victim (aged 16 and over) and the perpetrator falls into one of the following categories:
spouse
common-law spouse
cohabiting partner
boyfriend or girlfriend
ex-spouse, ex-cohabiting partner or ex-boyfriend or girlfriend
adulterous relationship
lover’s spouse
emotional rival
son or daughter (including step and adopted relationships)
parent (including step and adopted relationships)
brother or sister
other relatives"

You'll see the data shows 11 domestic homicides recorded by Avon and Somerset Constabulary from year ending March 2015 to year ending March 2017.

And in relation to Question 2 I understand that police data systems use a 'domestic abuse' marker or flag to identify offences or calls for assistance that are domestic-abuse related.

So for each of the 11 domestic homicides recorded by Avon and Somerset Constabulary from y/e March 2015 to y/e March 2017, please can you confirm whether any calls for police assistance (with a domestic violence marker) were made by or in relation to the victim in the two years before the murder.

I hope that is a bit clearer and please let me know if you have any other questions.

All the best,
Emma

#Freedom of Information Requests, Avon and Somerset Constabulary

1 Attachment

 

 

Corporate Communications Department

Force Headquarters, PO Box 37, Valley Road,

Portishead, Bristol, BS20 8QJ

Email [email address]    

 

 

 

 

Emma Youle Our 1527/18
Reference
[1][FOI #535507 email] Date 27
December
  2018

 

Dear Ms Youle

 

I regret to inform you that Avon and Somerset Constabulary have not been
able to complete its response to your request by the date originally
stated. 

 

I now advise you that the amended date for a response is no later than
25^th January 2019.  This is due to consideration being given to the
application of a qualified exemption, and as such will require further
consideration regarding the public interest test.  I can assure you that
every effort will be made to ensure an appropriate response will be made
within this new timescale.

 

May I apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your
request.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michelle Radcliffe

Freedom of Information Officer

[2]www.avonandsomerset.police.uk  |  Follow us on [3]Twitter and
[4]Facebook

 

 

 

 

 

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#Freedom of Information Requests, Avon and Somerset Constabulary

6 Attachments

Corporate Communications Department

Force Headquarters, PO Box 37, Valley Road,

Portishead, Bristol, BS20 8QJ

Email [email address]    

 

 

 

 

Emma Youle Our 1527/18
Reference
[1][FOI #535507 email] Date 07
February
  2019

 

Dear Ms Youle

 

I write in connection with your request for information dated 27^th
November under the Freedom of Information Act.

 

Specifically you asked:

I would like to receive information regarding offences recorded as
domestic homicides by the police force from 2014-15 to 2016-17 (i.e.
2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17).

 

Specifically, I would like to know:

1.     How many domestic homicide offences have been recorded by the
police force from 2014-15 to 2016-17?

2.     In each of these domestic homicide offences, was there one or more
previous calls to police flagged with a domestic violence marker?

 

For example:

2014-15 to 2016-17

Total domestic homicide offences: 10

Domestic homicide offences with previous DV flagged call: 7

 

Clarification received

On the 28^th November you clarified that the definition for domestic
homicide was:

 

“Domestic” homicides from the Homicide Index include any homicide where
the relationship between an adult victim (aged 16 and over) and the
perpetrator falls into one of the following categories:

Spouse, common-law spouse, cohabiting partner, boyfriend or girlfriend,
ex-spouse, ex-cohabiting partner or ex-boyfriend or girlfriend adulterous
relationship lover’s spouse emotional rival son or daughter (including
step and adopted relationships) parent (including step and adopted
relationships) brother or sister other relatives"

 

In respect of Q2 – “I understand that police data systems use a 'domestic
abuse' marker or flag to identify offences or calls for assistance that
are domestic-abuse related.

 

So for each of the 11 domestic homicides recorded by Avon and Somerset
Constabulary from y/e March 2015 to y/e March 2017, please can you confirm
whether any calls for police assistance (with a domestic violence marker)
were made by or in relation to the victim in the two years before the
murder.

 

Our response:

Please find our response attached. Some of the information that you have
requested has been deemed exempt by virtue of the following exemptions
(this includes Q2 in its entirety): 

 

Section 30(1) (a) (b) (c) relating to Investigations and Proceedings
Conducted by Public Authorities. This is a qualified and class based
exemption which means there is no requirement to identify and evidence the
harm that would be caused by disclosure, however there is a requirement to
consider the public interest. This exemption applies to information held
at any time for the purposes of an investigation, regardless of whether
the case is ongoing or not.

 

Section 38(1) relating to health and safety. This is a qualified and
prejudice based exemption therefore as well as considering the public
interest in disclosure, there is a requirement to articulate the harm that
would be caused by disclosure. Please see this below:

 

Harm in disclosure (Section 38)

The information requested relates to investigations into murders,
manslaughters or attempted murders. Releasing information additional to
that which has already been provided as part of press releases would
likely endanger the physical or mental health of the victim’s family and
friends. Details provided as part of press releases will have been done so
with the involvement and consideration of the families prior involved. Any
further disclosure whilst the investigation is ongoing without the
appropriate safeguards in place will likely cause additional distress to
those involved.  In addition there are some investigations where any
disclosure to the public has been limited, both throughout the
investigation and following this, to protect the welfare of those involved
who may have limited knowledge of events. 

 

Public Interest Considerations

 

Factors favouring disclosure (Sections 30 and 38)

Disclosure of the requested information may go some way to promote trust
in the police service demonstrating that the Constabulary robustly
investigates offences of this nature and brings offenders to justice.
Disclosure could lead to a better awareness of this type of investigation
and enable a better informed debate to be undertaken. Furthermore, the
public has a right to know that public funds are resourced appropriately.

 

Factors favouring non-disclosure (Sections 30 and 38)

It is the Association of Chief Police Officers’ approach that information
relating to an ongoing investigation will rarely be disclosed under the
provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.  The details around the
offence and those involved in the investigation will not be publically
known outside of any information which has been released as part of a
press statement. Any further disclosure could put the court proceedings at
risk along with the integrity of future investigations of this kind.
Although requests for information are considered on a case-by-case basis,
disclosure on this occasion may set a precedent that we will release
details of ongoing investigations and if this would in any way damage any
court proceedings or appeals to convictions, this information would be
deemed exempt.

 

Release of the information without appropriate safeguards being considered
is likely to expose individuals to distressing information and thus risk
harm to their mental well-being. This would be relevant to the close
friends and family of the victim as well as any other individual involved
in the investigation. The Constabulary takes their responsibility to
protect both the physical and mental health and safety of the communities
we serve seriously and any information that could jeopardise this will not
be released. The public would lose confidence in our commitment to
protecting the wellbeing of our community.

 

Balancing test

After weighing up the competing interests, I have determined that the
disclosure of the above information would not be in the public interest. I
believe the importance of the factors favouring non-disclosure outweigh
those considerations favouring disclosure.  At this time the potential
harm outweighs any public benefit particularly as there are frequent press
releases from the Constabulary in relation to these investigations. There
is no further tangible community benefit in complying with section 1(1)
(b) of the Act at this time.  In accordance with the Act, this letter
represents a Refusal Notice for this part of your request.

 

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michelle Radcliffe

Freedom of Information Officer

[2]www.avonandsomerset.police.uk  |  Follow us on [3]Twitter and
[4]Facebook

 

 

 

Please note:

1.       Requests and responses may be published on Avon and Somerset
Constabulary’s website (within 24 hours), some of which may contain a link
to additional information, which may provide you with further
clarification.

2.       Whilst we may verbally discuss your request with you in order to
seek clarification, all other communication should be made in writing.

3.       Avon and Somerset Constabulary provides you with the right to
request a re-examination of your case under its review procedure (copy
attached).

 

 

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