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www.fcadv.org JUNE 2017 / FACES OF FATALITY 5 January 2017 and December 2017, reflecting an entire calendar year. The second component of this report includes a summary of the fatality review analysis compiled between 2009 and 2014. The Statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team conducted the five-year summary to examine the trends of risk indicators over an extended defined timeframe. As a result, the summary data continues to support overarching themes related to risk indicators and events that led up to domestic violence homicides. Data reviewed by local teams includes a demographic profile of the lives and experiences of the decedents and perpetrators in these homicides. Of the cases reviewed in the annual report, 86% of the perpetrators were male and 83% of decedents were female. Data from the local teams’ reviews indicate disparities between perpetrators and decedents in age, occupational status, and the years of formal education. On average, perpetrators were slightly younger than the victims, were more likely to be unemployed, and less likely to have completed high school and/or college. In the case reviewed by the statewide team, the victim was eight years older than the perpetrator. Clusters of high-risk indicators that often precede domestic violence homicides were identified in the data extracted by local team reviews. Risk-factors identified in these cases included the perpetrator’s prior history of domestic violence, use of weapons, and extreme jealousy. More than 50% of perpetrators possessed a known history of prior domestic violence, substance abuse, and non-domestic violence criminality. More than 60% of perpetrators were known to carry a weapon and 33% of perpetrators were using substances at the time of the homicide. The decedent having children from a prior relationship is another risk indicator for domestic violence homicide. A total of 67% of decedents had children at the time of the homicide and 65% of those children were from the decedent’s previous relationships. There were known child witnesses in 10% of the deaths. Forty percent (40%) of decedents or their family members had contact with the Department of Children and Families prior to the homicide. Of the homicides reviewed, 63% occurred in a residence shared by the perpetrator and decedent. Fifty-two percent (52%) of family members reported knowing about prior incidents or threats of domestic violence made by the perpetrator.4 In 31% of the reviewed cases, there were known allegations of death threats made by the perpetrator toward the decedent prior to the homicide. The strong correlation of the local fatality review team findings and identified evidencebased high-risk indicators requires the attention of all community and system partners in addressing domestic violence homicide. A proactive coordinated community response effort increases the likelihood of successful interventions that enhance safety for survivors and their children and support domestic violence responses that effectively and collectively hold offenders accountable for their violence. Fatality review is a systemic and collaborative process in which gaps in domestic violence services and responses can be efficiently addressed to aid in the prevention of future homicides. Through fatality review recommendations, both state systems and local communities have the opportunity to develop policies and intervention strategies that continue to enhance services and reduce the likelihood of homicide. This report includes information for legislators, state agencies, social service organizations, and communities to assist in the ongoing efforts to address systemic gaps, enhance policy development and implement practices that reduce and prevent domestic violence homicides in Florida. 1 http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/cms/FSAC/UCR/2016/2016SA_CIF.aspx 2The eighteen month total includes data from the 2015 UCR annual report released on May 20, 2016 and the 2016 UCR semi-annual report released in November 2016. 3See s. 741.316 and s 741.3165, F.S. 4Information was obtained through media articles, police reports and/or interviews with family members.


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