António CastanhoPortuguese Ministry of Home Affairs

Fatality Review: Communities and Social Change

St Petersburg, FL May 17 -19

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PRESENTATION ORDER

1. About me2. Criminal facts3. Risk assessment in Portugal4. Fatality Review as a tool5. Main messages to police officers about risk assessment

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ABOUT ME AND PORTUGAL

Clinical Psychologist and investigator at the Portuguese Ministry of Home Affairs;

Clinical Psychologist and Criminal Investigator at the Portuguese Police from 1992 to 2010;

Clinical Psychologist working on the Protection of Children & Youth from 2008 to 2011;

Criminal Investigation and trainer for the National Police of East Timor under a United Nations Peacekeeping mission in East Timor for 13 months (2000 to 2001) . 3

Main Work at the Ministry of Home Affairs• Investigator in homicide and risk

assessment in Domestic Violence

• Trainer of trainers for the Police and Prosecutors

• Working on the establishment of a Domestic Fatality Review Team in Portugal

• Coauthor of the Risk Assessment Tool for the use of the police

• Coauthor of the Domestic Violence Police Handbook

4Training session May 2014

Presentation of the new Risk Assessment and Police Handbook - November 2014

Some Criminal Facts about Portugal (2013)

Source: RASI 2013 – Homeland Anual Security Report

5 MOST REPORTED CRIMINAL TYPOLOGIES IN PORTUGAL

Fi %

1º Vehicle Theft 29807 7,9

2ºDomestic violence (against spouse or similar + Against children or other relatives) 27353 7,3

3º Physical Offenses 25118 6,7

4º Driving with Alcohol rate Blood ≥ 1.2 g / l 24608 6,5

5º Theft in Residence 22206 5,9

Total 2013= 376336 (95% recorded by the police)

61994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

424408

391381

340

299

247

282266 271

187164

198

132146 149 143

117

149

121103

Total Homicide Voluntary Homicide

Portugal Population 2013: 10 427 301Women: 5 469 281Men: 4 958 020

Homicide In Portugal

Source: Portuguese Ministry of Home Affairs and National Statistical Institute

Source: Portuguese Ministry of Home Affairs

Homicide vs Intimate Partner Homicideevolution

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

50

100

150

200

250

4034 36

22

46

29

44

27

41 3743

187

164

198

132

146 149143

117

149

121

103

Intimate Partner HomicideVoluntary Homicide Total

Risk assessment In Portugal

» It started in 2007 as non structured screening done using a prescribed form applied by non trained police officers (not mandatory).

» 2011 - The importance of reassessing the risk adopting a structured methodology (empiricism + scientific validity).

» According to the recommendations of the Istanbul Convention (2011) (article 51) and the European manual of good practices within the policing of Domestic Violence (2010, 2012);

» New risk assessment (RVD) as an essential basis for defining integrated strategies - management of high-risk cases;

» Risk assessment tools developed by other countries and used by other police / security forces (ex .: US,UK, Spain, Canada, Australia). 9

New Risk Assessment Design methodology

Work Grou

p

Phase 1: Startup (09-12/ 2011)

Phase 2: Improving the instrument

(01-10/ 2012)

Phase 3: Experimental application and follow-up

(11/2012 a 02/2014

Phase 4: NationwideDissemination

(03/2014…)

• Literature review and systematization of existing tools• Cognitive test / 2 pilot tests• Experimental application (n = 841)• Victim´s follow-up (n = 81)• Fatality Review (n=20)• Today: Monitoring of implementation and evaluation of results

FATALITY REVIEW AS A TOOL TO RISK ASSESSMENT

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Presentation on "Domestic Homicide committed by an intimate partner - the relevance of the fatality review"Auditorium of the Centre for Judicial Studies, 28/11/2014

Fatality Review (n=20)

» Separation or intention of separation/estrangement in all cases; (In 52.6% of cases the time between separation and homicide was less than 1 month, 21.1% occurred within a period of time between 1 and 2 months);

» Previous domestic violence and jealous / obsessive / controlling behavior (73.7% );

» Increasing violence in the month prior to the murder in 63.2% of cases;

» Possession or easy access to a firearm in 57.9% ;» Use or threat to use weapons and threats of suicide or homicide

in 52.6%;» Other indicators that emerged were the presence of emotional

instability on perpetrators (possible depression, suicidal ideation and social isolation).

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The use of the information» Data about the risk markers found on domestic fatality reviews on the

training

» One written chapter about Domestic Violence Fatality Review on partnership work with several agencies (governmental and NGO´s)

» Data on a Domestic Violence Police Handbook Released on 2014

» Several meetings with District Attorneys about Risk Assessment and Fatality Review

» 9 training courses for 220 trainers on the Police Forces - (May /June 2014) - followed by training in police of 10.000 police officers

» Need of an evolutionary analysis of the homicide rate and suicide in Domestic Violence) in previously participated situations to FS (before and after introduction of RVD)

» Start up of the Family and Intimate Partner Violence Fatality Review in Portugal

Where we are headed?» Assess the risk of homicide and serious bodily harm of the victim based on a scientifically

valid tool and adapted to the Portuguese reality;

» Introducing greater objectivity to the assessment performed by an instrument with scientific validity and to provide a graduation of risk;

» Promote accountability in the process of risk assessment and management;

» Create a more reliable basis about risk assessment for the Courts (promoting security / protection of victims);

» Increase efficiency, effectiveness and quality of policing domestic violence;

» Contribute to reduce victimization rate and the number of homicides involving victims already signaled to law enforcement;

» Introduce the fatality review in the Portuguese Law (on course)

Main Messages to the Police Officers about risk assessment

» Threat and risk assessments are contextual and only relevant for a specific period;

» The absence of “identified risk markers” does not mean that violence will not occur;

» We must connect the “dots" and see patterns of behavior.» Once a risk assessment has been done, the information must

be used to manage any risk that has been uncovered; » The four main activities of risk management are: monitoring,

treatment, supervision, and victim safety planning;» Work the stress and anxiety after Risk Assessment - police

officers are often haunted by the fear that something horrible will happen to the survivors and/or their children.

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THANK YOU!Come and visitcasta706@hotmail.com or acastanho@sg.mai.gov.pt » Phone Number +351 918 538 637

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