A DOMESTIC violence awareness consultant has renewed calls to amend the form completed by PSNI officers attending a sudden death indicating whether there were previous issues of assault.
Retired PSNI Specialist Domestic Violence Officer Nuala Lappin has led the call for a specific inclusion on domestic abuse concerns in the P1 Form which contains 31 enquiries for attending police.
These include the deceased’s, name, age, family circumstances, when last seen alive, location of death, visible marks, pre-existing illnesses, what medication they took and if they smoked, drank alcohol or abused drugs.
But there is nothing to highlight if there was a history or concerns of domestic abuse, whether prosecuted or not.
The call comes in the wake of the murder of mother-of-one Mary Ward who was found at her home in Melrose Street on October 1.
The 22 year-old was discovered having sustained significant neck wounds.
Police have confirmed she reported a “violent” incident to them on 4 September, who followed this up with her three weeks later on 25 September, the day she is believed to have been murdered.
Mary lay undiscovered for a week and it would be a further week before a murder inquiry was launched.
The PSNI has referred its response to that assault to the Police Ombudsman amid concerns as to whether all steps were taken to ensure the protection of Ms Ward after the incident.
A 26-year-old man arrested in Dublin has since been charged with murder.
Ms Lappin, who advises on domestic violence-related issues and policies, has been calling for the P1 to be amended since January 2023 believing the current format is adequate.
She said: “The fervent hope is for drastic attitudinal change to rid communities of this scourge but until then many will suffer significant injury or worse. Tragically, there will be more deaths and Northern Ireland figures are appalling. Achieving justice is paramount. Mandatory indication of domestic abuse by a simple inclusion on the P1, could allow focused examination of the circumstances of death.”
She continued: “Overall, Mary should not have been murdered – that’s inescapable. Despite continual assurances of lessons learned Northern Ireland is witnessing worsening situations.
“That’s unacceptable and inexcusable. While the minor but critical change to the P1 couldn’t have saved Mary, it would have pointed to a definite line of inquiry in turn and speeded up the process.”
When asked for a response DCS Lindsay Fisher said: “Firstly, I express my deepest sympathies to Mary Ward’s family and friends who are experiencing unbearable suffering knowing that their loved one was taken from them in such a cruel way. Last week, a man was charged by An Garda Síochána with Mary’s murder, who are currently leading on it supported by the PSNI.”
When asked about the specific change to the form she added: “Any death that is reported to us or brought to our attention is thoroughly investigated based on the evidence and lines of enquiry available, including ascertaining whether the victim had a domestic violence history.
“The absence of specific prompts on the form doesn’t preclude relevant material, including a history of domestic violence, being recorded by the investigating officer. Whilst we are not currently reviewing the P1, we continue to work closely with colleagues. This could result in future changes to the process.”