Abstract
The New Zealand Family Violence Death Review Committee gathers data on all family violence deaths in New Zealand, as well as conducting selected in depth regional reviews. The regional death review process employs a systems analysis of agency and interagency practice. These reviews are used to effect change within the family violence system by a range of processes (including the review process itself, agency feedback, professional training, reports and national policy work) and utilising different change strategies. The Committee has suggested that shifts in thinking about family violence are needed if we are to build responses based on an accurate understanding of the issue. It has also proposed remapping the existing family violence work force across a tiered family violence safety response.
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Notes
- 1.
Aotearoa is a widely accepted Maori name for New Zealand.
- 2.
The New Zealand Public Health and Disability Amendment Act 2010.
- 3.
The word ‘appoint’ is used in the legislation to mean the establishment of each mortality review committee and the appointment of individual committee members.
- 4.
The HQSC administers four permanent MRCs (including the FVDRC): http://www.hqsc.govt.nz/our-programmes/mrc/
- 5.
This veto is completely discretionary. It is sourced in the FVDRC’s legal status as an advisor to the HQSC, established and funded by the HQSC.
- 6.
People from the Pacific Islands (e.g., Samoa, Rarotonga, Tonga, Niue, Fiji and Tokelau). In the 2006 population census Pacific Peoples made up 6.9 percent of the New Zealand population.
- 7.
- 8.
The FVDRC’s jurisdiction overlaps with other MRCs. Deaths of children and young people under 25 years from family violence also fall within the scope of the Child Youth Mortality Review Committee (CYMRC). Maternal deaths and deaths of infants less than 28 days old resulting from family violence fall within the scope of the Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee (PMMRC). Partnership approaches are pursued with respect to deaths which fall within the scope of multiple MRCs. For example, the CYMRC does not conduct another regional review of those deaths which have been reviewed by the FVDRC and staff from the CYMRC participate in the review process of the FVDRC.
- 9.
- 10.
Whānau is the Māori word for family and includes extended family members.
- 11.
A hapū is a sub-tribe comprising a number of whānau groups. Membership is determined by genealogical descent.
- 12.
Half (50 percent) of the 126 family violence deaths in Aotearoa New Zealand from 2009 to 2012 were IPV, whilst almost one-third (29 percent) were CAN (Family Violence Death Review Committee 2014, 37).
- 13.
A more recent data report will be published mid-2017.
- 14.
Those excluded were bystander deaths or offender suicides.
- 15.
Appendix 4: Family Violence Death Review Committee predominant aggressor and primary victim classification criteria for intimate partner violence deaths (Family Violence Death Review Committee, 2014, 130–136).
- 16.
In some death events the predominant aggressor in the relationship killed the new male partner of their ex-partner.
- 17.
There were two death events in which women were the predominant aggressors and a very small number of death events had several offenders.
- 18.
The parent has deliberately killed their children prior to committing suicide themselves.
- 19.
The killing of a child who is less than 24 hours old.
- 20.
The criteria for selection is set out in Family Violence Death Review Committee 2012, 89.
- 21.
The panels review death events within their geographical boundaries and these boundaries correspond to the 12 police districts – with a clustering of the less populous districts.
- 22.
The FVDRC lead coordinator is employed by the HQSC, whilst the national regional review chair is contracted for each review.
- 23.
This is done both informally (on the initiative of the individuals involved) and formally (in the form of published recommendations).
- 24.
From IPV victims’ advocacy services.
- 25.
From children’s services.
- 26.
New Zealand gangs have their own cultural norms and socio-economic positioning. Between 2009 and 2012 five of the nine inflicted injury deaths involving stepfathers occurred in the context of gang involvement, whilst five of the 10 female IPV primary victims who killed their abusive male partner killed men who were gang involved (Family Violence Death Review Committee 2014, 85).
- 27.
Set out in more detail in Family Violence Death Review Committee (2013): Appendix3.
- 28.
Each pattern has several different aspects, which may or may not be present in each death review. For example, under patterns in communication and collaboration in multi-agency working and assessment, the different aspects include: multi-agency mandate; information-sharing; understanding the nature of the situation; clarity of roles and responsibilities (of the practitioners involved); difference of opinions and professional hierarchies; overestimating the remit of service provision of different agencies; the importance of knowing each other; and referral procedures and cultures of feedback.
- 29.
This is a tool developed by the FVDRC to map an individual’s (and their family’s) experiences of trauma, such as CAN, sexual abuse and IPV, across extended families (including siblings and step-parents), as well as in current and previous relationships. The traumagram includes known children of the various adults, alcohol and other drug use, protection orders, Child, Youth and Family involvement, children in care and imprisonment associated with any particular family member. Traumagrams render visible patterns of violence, abuse and neglect across generations and in past and present relationships.
- 30.
In order to capture the differing perspectives of each agency involved, the lead coordinator constructs a set of multiple chronologies. Separate lines are created for the victims and perpetrator, family, whānau, community members and each agency. The result is a layered picture that documents (relative to each other) who was involved and when, what they knew (or did not know), what they did and which services they were working with.
- 31.
A case preparation template supports members’ analysis of how their agency’s organisational management system supported the emergence of safe responsive practice or problematic practice.
- 32.
The FVDRC has developed a Post Death Safety Guidance for this process.
- 33.
Court records in New Zealand, contrary to popular belief, are not public documents – although published judgements are. In order to access court filed documents and transcripts it is necessary to request them from the judge presiding over the case.
- 34.
Note information can also be produced, disclosed or recorded in accordance with an exception in clause 5 of schedule 5 or a ministerial authority: 4(1)(b) and (c).
- 35.
This refers to the police response to women who go into the police station to report a family violence episode, rather than calling the police during or immediately after an episode.
- 36.
See Family Violence Death Review Committee 2015 for an update on the progress agencies have made in implementing the FVDRC’s recommendations.
- 37.
- 38.
As noted above, the regional death reviews to date have focused on IPV and CAN deaths as these represent the greatest number of deaths.
- 39.
Non-violence programmes are designed for those using family violence and focus on the effects of domestic violence on others and skills for living without violence. Perpetrators may regularly attend group or individual sessions for up to two months: www.justice.govt.nz/family-justice/domestic-violence/…/non-violence-programmes
- 40.
Domestic Violence Act 1995, s 3(3).
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Tolmie, J., Wilson, D., Smith, R. (2017). New Zealand. In: Dawson, M. (eds) Domestic Homicides and Death Reviews. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-56276-0_6
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