Family Violence

The Family Violence Death Review Committee

Background

New Zealand has unacceptably high rates of family violence including violence against women, child abuse and neglect, and elder abuse. A significant proportion of cases investigated by Police as homicide are perpetrated by a member of the victim’s family; for example in 2005 nearly half of the 61 reported murders were recorded as family violence-related (approximately 30 a year). In the five-year period from 2000-2004, there were 121 family violence cases investigated by the Police as murder, of which fifty-six victims were women, 39 were children (under 17) and 26 were men.

The Taskforce for Action on Violence within Families

The Taskforce for Action on Violence within Families (www.msd.govt.nz) was established in June 2005 to advise the Family Violence Ministerial Team on how to improve the way family violence is addressed, and how to eliminate family violence within New Zealand. The Taskforce has representatives from the government and non-government sectors, the judiciary and Crown agencies.

The Taskforce published its First Report and Programme of Action (www.msd.govt.nz) in July 2006. One of the key priorities set out in the Report was the development of a new process to understand why family violence deaths occur, to help enable changes to systems and practices that may contribute to the prevention of future deaths. The Ministry of Health was given responsibility to design an ongoing process for reviewing all family violence-related deaths by June 2007.

The Family Violence Death Review Project

In response to this action, the Ministry of Health established the cross-agency Family Violence Death Review Project in close collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Justice, the Police and other key government and non-government organisations.

The Project team undertook research on mortality review systems and investigated death review teams in overseas jurisdictions. The policy process culminated in the release of the Family Violence Death Review Discussion Document to key stakeholder groups in April 2007. The document sought feedback on options for an ongoing, consistent system for reviewing family violence-related deaths in New Zealand. Following analysis of the comment received on the options, a proposed framework was developed and refined by the Family Violence Death Review Project team.

In June 2007, the Ministry of Health reported to the Taskforce and recommended that a formal mechanism for an interagency, multidisciplinary family violence-related death review system be established under the New Zealand Public Health and Disability (NZPHD) Act 2000. The family violence death review system proposed involved the establishment of a ministerial committee that is parallel to, but separate from, the current mortality review committees (CYMRC*, PMMRC**) mandated under the NZPHD Act. The Taskforce agreed to the recommendations in the Ministry’s report.

The Establishment of the Family Violence Death Review Committee

The FVDRC’s Terms of Reference (PDF, 102 KB) were approved by Hon David Cunliffe, Minister of in April 2008. Minister Cunliffe and Associate Minister of Health, Hon Steve Chadwick, announced the establishment of the FVDRC - media release (PDF, 23 KB) on 15 April. Nominations for the inaugural members of the FVDRC closed on 1 May, and the Committee is being appointed over the coming months.

Media release: First members appointed to family violence committee (21 Aug 2008 - www.beehive.govt.nz)

The FVDRC was formally established on 9 June 2008.

*Child Youth Mortlity Review Committee
**Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee

Page last updated: 10 July 2008