Minister to bring plans for family homicides study to Cabinet

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan will bring plans to Cabinet on Tuesday for an independent study of domestic homicides in Ireland, such as the murder of the Hawe family.

It is envisaged the proposed study will pave the way for the introduction of statutory Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) next year, similar to those operating in the UK.

Clodagh Hawe and her three sons were murdered by her husband Alan in their Cavan home in 2016. An internal Garda review of the deaths is ongoing.

Mr Flanagan’s proposed study will have two parts. It will examine the current supports available to victims affected by domestic homicide and, separately, will examine what format DHRs should take here.

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State agencies, support groups and family members of victims will be consulted during the study which is expected to last 12 months.

It will examine international best practice, including DHRs in the UK which involve a multi-agency inquiry into how a familicide occurred and what could have been done to prevent it.

Fianna Fáil tabled a Bill in March which would allow the Minister for Justice to order a review whenever a domestic homicide occurs, as in the case in the UK. It is understood Mr Flanagan has been advised the UK model cannot be directly transposed to Ireland and would need to be tailored for this jurisdiction.