Inquest into the death of Ms K

Case Number: 2017/71927

Date of Findings: 12 December 2024

Magistrate: Elizabeth Ryan

CORONIAL LAW – Mandatory inquest, death of a person by homicide, coercive control, was response of NSW Police Force to reports of domestic and family violence adequate, is risk assessment tool used by NSW Police Force adequate? 

Responses

Recommendations to	Response
NSW Commissioner of Police	Awaiting
Domestic Violence Safety Assessment Tool Working Group	Awaiting
NSW Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Board	Awaiting
Secretary of DCJ	Awaiting
NSW Attorney General	Awaiting

Recommendations

To the NSW Commissioner of Police

1. That the NSW Police Force develop a framework for the period 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2027, to guide police training in domestic and family violence policing that identifies intervals for refresher training, modes for course delivery, and protocols for integrating course evaluations and workforce capability assessments into the training design. 

2. That the NSW Police Force continue to consult with external subject matter experts, and government and non government stake holders, in the development of any policy and training content related to domestic and family violence.

To the DVSAT Working Group, the NSW Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Board, and the NSW Commissioner of Police

3. That consideration be given to whether and how incident and criminal history information from other state and territory jurisdictions can be directly incorporated into the revised DVSAT criminal history indicators (‘Additional indicators on DVF history’ and ‘Trigger Offences’) and built into the NSW Police Force IT system supporting the DVSAT.

4. Pending implementation of Recommendation 3, that the revised DVSAT guide, and instruction and training material specifically direct police officers to consult all accessible incident and criminal history information from other states and territories, when assessing whether a matter should be upgraded to ‘at serious threat’ level in the exercise of professional judgment on the basis of:

i) the total number of prior domestic violence incidents in the past two years including in other states and territories (‘Additional indicators on DVF history’); and

ii) the presence of any ‘trigger offences’ in the past two years including in other states and territories.

5. That the predictive accuracy of the revised DVSAT be reviewed at intervals of at least 12, 24 and 36 months post commencement.

6. That as part of the DVSAT reviews, consideration be given to the inclusion of an offence of coercive control (‘abusive behaviour towards current or former intimate partners: section 54D Crimes Act 1900) within the last two years as a ‘trigger offence’.

To the DVSAT Working Group, and the NSW Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Board

7. That the DVSAT Working Group consult with the RACGP, RANZCP and the Australian Psychological Society as to how the DVSAT should operate for non police referrals in to the Safter Pathway system.

To the Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice, and to the NSW Commissioner of Police

8. That the Department of Communities and Justice and the NSW Police Force consult with the RACGP, RANZCP and the Australian Psychological Society to develop policy in the areas of perpetrator identification, engagement and service referrals.

To the Attorney-General, NSW

9. That the Attorney General consider, as part of the statutory review undertaken into section 54D of the Crimes Act 1900, amending the definition of ‘abusive behaviour’ in section 54F(2) of the Crimes Act 1900 and the definition of 4 Findings in the Inquest into the death of Ms K ‘domestic abuse’ in section 6A(2) of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 to include the following: ‘behaviour that uses coercion, threats, physical abuse or emotional or psychological abuse to demand or receive dowry, either before or after a marriage’.