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). 

Footnotes