Responding to Victims of Domestic Violence and Abuse: Where Does Responsibility Lie for When Victims Fall Through the Cracks of the Healthcare System?

According to police crime data, between April 2020 and March 2022, there were 470 deaths related to domestic abuse (National Police Chiefs' Council, 2022). This demonstrates an urgent need to explore how to reduce such deaths, as well as the number of lives negatively impacted by domestic violence and abuse (DVA). Whilst the criminal law and criminal justice system play a key role in addressing the wrongs committed by perpetrators of DVA and bringing perpetrators to justice (CPS, 2021), for this to happen, it is crucial that victims are identified and supported.

Due to the severe effects of DVA, many victims will need to access health services. Their interaction with healthcare professionals may offer a crucial opportunity for them to seek help. Pro-active intervention from healthcare professionals may also be required if the victim is accompanied by the perpetrator and remains silent due to coercion or threats (Macdonald, 2021).

This raises the important question of whether there is, and should be, professional responsibility in the healthcare setting to identify signs of DVA? Whilst the question of what responsibility is owed to DVA victims in the healthcare context has begun to be explored in academic literature (see for example Taylor et al, 2013), there has not, as of yet, been a comprehensive critical, theoretically, and empirically supported study focused on the healthcare sector that explores professional responsibility and potential legal accountability in DVA cases at both individual and systemic/Trust levels.