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.