‘Just Say Goodbye’ (January 2013 online edition)

‘Just Say Goodbye’The VSRFVD has the capacity to collect information on a large numberof cases and to identify trends and patterns which will contribute to ourunderstanding of why the deaths of children and other family members occur.The VSRFVD is a relatively new process, and at the time of writing the extentto which information and data collected as part of the review will be madepublicly available has not yet been determined.There are two key reasons it is important that information about familyviolence deaths be shared. First, from a research perspective it is currently verydifficult to obtain information about family violence deaths, particularly wherethe perpetrator dies by suicide and no further criminal justice proceedings occur.Research is also important for developing our knowledge of the phenomenonof homicides involving family members; particularly filicides, for which there isa very limited amount of information available. This understanding is crucial forinforming effective prevention strategies.Second, from a policy perspective the VSRFVD has the potential todirectly contribute to knowledge and prevention strategies relating to familyviolence deaths in the community. For this to happen, the process needs tobe comprehensive, transparent and accountable. This is more likely if detailedfindings are publicly available, ideally including access to coronial files andtranscripts of coronial hearings.It is important that death reviews have access to all relevant information aboutfamily violence deaths. Information from federal organisations, such as FamilyCourt proceedings, should be made available to state death review processes.The Women’s Aid Federation in the UK specifically points to the need fordeath review processes to have the power to investigate Family Court decisionsin filicides (Saunders 2004). If federal organisations are not included, thereis not only a significant gap in knowledge but those agencies cannot be heldaccountable, which impedes opportunities for reform. In addition, Websdale(2010), former Director of the National Domestic Violence Fatality ReviewInitiative in the US, points to the importance of death review committeesspeaking directly to surviving family members and friends to gain insight intofamily homicides. This is not currently a feature of family violence death reviewsunderway in Australia.It is essential for family violence death reviews to be established in each stateand territory in Australia with a nationally consistent approach. A centralisednational database of family violence deaths should be established to informprevention policy and research. It is also crucial that all family violence deathreviews include the deaths of children in families and explore the link betweenadult domestic violence and the killing of children (Websdale 1999).87