The latest report of the Domestic Violence Death Review Team (DVDRT) reveals almost one-third of all homicides in New South Wales over the past 22 years occurred in the context of domestic violence.

The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the 550 homicides that occurred following an identifiable history of domestic violence between 2000 and 2022.

More than half of the deaths involved a person killing their current or former partner, and of those, four in five involved a man killing a woman.

One in five domestic violence-related homicides involved a filicide, or a parent killing a child, with over a third of those involving children aged one year or less.

One in five involved a person killing another family member, almost half of which involved an adult son killing a parent/s.

Other homicides previously not considered in domestic violence-related death counts were examined, and most often involved a man killing his ex-partner’s new male partner.

The report also provides data on the co-occurrence of mental health and alcohol and other drug (AOD) issues in domestic violence homicides.

State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan, Convenor of the DVDRT, said the data would help guide domestic violence policy.

“This report represents the most detailed data review undertaken by the DVDRT to date and comes at a pivotal juncture, as the national conversation coalesces on the pervasive issue of domestic violence context homicide and gender-based violence more broadly,” Magistrate O’Sullivan said. 

“The report highlights that the fatal impact of domestic violence extends beyond the intimate partner context and provides crucial insights to guide policy makers, service providers and advocates in preventing, responding to and aiding recovery for all victims of domestic and family violence.”

Dr Hannah Tonkin, NSW Women’s Safety Commissioner and member of the DVDRT, said every domestic violence-related homicide was a tragedy.

“These are lives cut short, families destroyed, and children left behind to deal with unimaginable trauma,” Dr Tonkin said.

“This report provides critical data to help prevent future deaths and improve responses to domestic and family violence. It is crucial that our work is grounded in accurate data to inform decision making and drive change.”

The persistent overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in domestic violence deaths in particular was revealed.

Christine Robinson, CEO of the Wirringa Baiya Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre and DVDRT member, said it was vital this overrepresentation was understood in the context of the ongoing impact of colonialisation and the disempowerment of Aboriginal peoples.

“These may seem like historical factors to some, but the direct and cumulative impact on our people is still evident today,” Ms Robinson said.

“Aboriginal communities need to be empowered to address transgenerational trauma and provided the tools and resources for self-determination and decision making. Culturally-appropriate tailored programs and localised responses are critical to driving positive change.”

The DVDRT was established in July 2010.

The DVDRT’s overarching objective is to examine domestic violence-related deaths so as to facilitate improvements in systems and services and thereby reduce the incidence of future domestic violence-related deaths.

Key findings

Of the 550 domestic violence-related homicides considered in the Report:

• 56% involved a person killing their current or former intimate partner, and of these deaths almost four in five involved a man killing a woman;
• 18% involved a filicide, in which a parent killed a child or children under 18;
• 17% involved a person killing another family member or relative;
• In 10% of matters the offender and the victim did not share an intimate or familial relationship, but the death was domestic violence-related (e.g. a bystander killed intervening in an episode of domestic violence, or a person killing their ex-partner’s new partner).

The Report also shows:

• Two-thirds of women were killed at the point of separation or after the relationship had ended. In 75% of cases where the relationship had ended, men had stalked their former partner prior to the homicide;
• Men who killed women were almost always the predominant domestic violence abuser in the relationship, while women who killed men were almost always the predominant victim of their partner’s violence;
• Around one in four male abusers had no history of physical violence against their female partner prior to the homicide;
• In 53% of cases, the man’s history of abuse had been reported to police;
• More than 40% of men who killed an intimate partner had experienced trauma and adversity in their childhood.