Executive summary
Cases reviewed from 2003–2020
- from 2003-2019, the DVDRC has reviewed 364 cases, involving 515 deaths.
- of the cases reviewed, 67% were homicides and 33% were homicide-suicides.
- approximately 71% of all cases reviewed from 2003-2020 involved a couple where there was a history of domestic violence and 66% of the cases involved a couple with an actual or pending separation.
- the other top risk factors were:
- a perpetrator who was depressed (49%)
- obsessive behaviour by the perpetrator (45%)
- prior threats or attempts to commit suicide (42%)
- a victim who had an intuitive sense of fear towards the perpetrator (43%)
- victim vulnerability (45%)
footnote 1 - perpetrator displayed sexual jealousy (40%)
- prior threats to kill the victim (36%)
- excessive alcohol and/or drug use (41%)
- a perpetrator who was unemployed (40%)
- history of violence outside the family (34%)
- in 71% of the cases reviewed, seven or more risk factors were identified.
Cases reviewed in 2019
- there were 22 cases reviewed by the DVDRC in 2019. There were 20 full reviews and two executive reviews. This included 19 homicide cases and three homicide-suicide cases, resulting in 26 deaths (23 homicide victims and three perpetrator suicides).
- there were 32 recommendations generated through these reviews.
- of the 23 homicide victims in the cases reviewed, 18 (78%) were adult females, four (17%) were adult males and one (4%) was a female child.
- of the 22 cases, 18 (82%) involved male perpetrators and four (18%) involved a female perpetrator.
- in 15 (68%) of the cases, seven or more risk factors were identified.
- the average number of risk factors identified in cases reviewed in 2019 was 9.
- the victims ranged in age from six to 70 years.
- the average age of victims was 39 years.
- the perpetrators ranged in age from 19 to 71 years.
- the average age of perpetrators (deceased and living) was 40 years.
- the number of risk factors for individual cases ranged from zero to 20 (out of 41).
Cases reviewed in 2020
- there were 13 cases reviewed by the DVDRC in 2020. This included 9 homicide cases and four homicide-suicide cases, resulting in 19 deaths (15 homicide victims and four perpetrator suicides).
- there were 27 recommendations generated through these reviews.
- of the 15 homicide victims in the cases reviewed, 12 (80%) were adult females, two (13%) were adult males and one (7%) was a male child.
- of the 13 cases, all of them (100%) involved male perpetrators.
- in 12 (92%) of the cases, seven or more risk factors were identified.
- the average number of risk factors identified in cases reviewed in 2020 was 12.
- the victims ranged in age from seven to 88 years.
- the average age of victims was 42 years.
- the perpetrators ranged in age from 25 to 83 years.
- the average age of perpetrators (deceased and living) was 47 years.
- the number of risk factors for individual cases ranged from one to 23 (out of 41).
Updated: January 31, 2024
Published: January 31, 2024