The Implementation of Domestic Violence Death Reviews in Australia

In Australia, a significant proportion of homicides occur in a domestic context, many following an identifiable history of domestic violence. For this reason, many domestic violence homicides are considered to be preventable. Sector advocacy and policy reform has reframed domestic violence as a serious social issue. In keeping with international trends, domestic violence death review teams have been introduced in Australia. These review teams examine domestic violence homicides to identify systemic gaps in service responses to prevent future deaths. This article describes the operational Australian domestic violence death review teams and the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Death Review Network.