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Executive summary
Cases reviewed from 2003-2018
- From 2003-2018, the DVDRC has reviewed 329 cases, involving 470 deaths.
- Of the cases reviewed, 66% were homicides and 34% were homicide-suicides.
- Approximately 71% of all cases reviewed from 2003-2018 involved a couple where there was a history of domestic violence and 67% of the cases involved a couple with an actual or pending separation.
- The other top risk factors were:
- a perpetrator who was depressed (50%)
- obsessive behaviour by the perpetrator (46%)
- prior threats or attempts to commit suicide (44%)
- a victim who had an intuitive sense of fear towards the perpetrator (43%)
- victim vulnerability (43%) This risk factor has been tracked since 2017.
- perpetrator displayed sexual jealousy (39%)
- prior threats to kill the victim (36%)
- excessive alcohol and/or drug use (40%)
- a perpetrator who was unemployed (39%)
- history of violence outside the family (33%)
- In 70% of the cases reviewed, seven or more risk factors were identified.
Cases reviewed in 2018
- There were 18 cases reviewed by the DVDRC in 2018. These included 15 homicide cases and three homicide-suicide cases, resulting in 25 deaths (22 homicide victims and three perpetrator suicides).
- There were 28 recommendations generated through these reviews.
- Of the 22 victims in the cases reviewed, 13 (59%) were adult females, five (23%) were adult males, two (9%) were female children and two (9% was a male child).
- Of the 18 cases reviewed, 14 (78%) involved male perpetrators and four (22%) involved a female perpetrator.
- The victims ranged in age from four to 82 years.
- The average age for victims was 39.3 years.
- The perpetrators ranged in age from 23 to 82 years.
- The average age for perpetrators was 44 years.
- The average number of risk factors identified in the cases reviewed was 7.5.
- The number of risk factors ranged from one to 17.
- Seven or more risk factors were identified in 11 (61%) of the cases reviewed in 2018.
- There were three cases involving individuals (either victim or perpetrator) who identified as Indigenous.
Updated: January 15, 2024
Published: July 20, 2021