WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding the number of homicides in 2015-16 resulting from family and domestic violence. The answer provides a figure of 26 homicides, with caveats regarding data collection and definitions.

AnsweredQoN 772Legislative Council
Asked
23 August 2016
Portfolio
Attorney General representing the Minister for Police

QuestionView source ↗

FAMILY AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE — 2015–16
RECORDED HOMICIDES
772. Hon
ALANNA CLOHESY to the Attorney General representing the Minister for Police:
How
many homicides as a result of family and domestic violence were recorded for
the year 2015–16?

AnswerView source ↗

On
behalf of the Minister for Police, I thank the honourable member for some
notice of the question.
In
the financial year 2015–16, there were 26 homicides. There are a number
of caveats hedged about that information. The figures are based on data
extracted from the incident management system on 6 August 2016. The financial
year determined based on the data a record—I do not understand that. If
I understand this correctly, and I will get this confirmed, it is driving at
the fact that the numbers are based on the financial year, because they were
reported in the financial year, so that the offence may have occurred before or
after. It includes all unique offences with a positive domestic violence flag.
It includes all unique offences with an Australian standard offence
classification division title ''01 (Homicide)'', which comprises
attempted murder, driving causing death, aiding suicide, assault causing death,
manslaughter and murder. A family/domestic relationship is defined by WA Police
as including, firstly, intimate partners—that is, two persons who are
or have been in a relationship with each other, which has some degree of
stability and continuity. They must reasonably be supposed to have or have had
a sexual aspect to their relationship. Partners do not have to be living
together on a full-time, continuing basis and need not ever have done so.
Secondly, a family/domestic relationship is defined as immediate family members—that
is, two persons who are related whether directly, in-laws or step-family, and
that can involve a parent and grandparent, and one of the persons being a child
who ordinarily resides, resided or regularly stays with the other person or
guardian of an involved child. A fairly broad category of people falls within
the offence category that the member has mentioned. I will confirm the part of
the answer that I am unsure about.

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