Domestic Violence Fatality Review Process
987. Hon ALISON XAMON to the Minister for Child Protection:
I draw to the minister’s attention that I am going to ask part (3) of the question without any notice, because I have clarified exactly what I was asking for. I refer to the establishment of a domestic violence fatality review process.
(1) Can the minister please specify which charges will have to have been laid for a death to be eligible to be reviewed under the domestic violence review process?
(2) Will a case in which a charge of assault causing death has been laid be eligible for review?
(3) Will the Ombudsman’s office, under the domestic violence fatality review process, have the capacity to review any death when there has been a history of domestic or family violence? For the minister’s clarification, clearly I was trying to find out specifically about this process under the Ombudsman’s office, not the broader powers of the Ombudsman’s office.
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied:
I will answer parts (1) and (2) but I do not think my answer to part (3) meets what the member wants, so I will leave that one. I thank the member for some notice of the question.
(1) Although details are yet to be determined, the review focuses on homicides.
(2) This is yet to be determined but is probable.
(3) I will give the member the answer to part (3) tomorrow.