Thread by @hayleyboxall1

The #HannahClarke inquest report said there was nothing more services could have done to prevent the death of her and her 3 children. But I don't this is accurate or helpful as a narrative. #iph #vaw #ipf #ipv #dfv

When we think of iph risk, we still expect women to appear with bruises and broken bones, for their partners to be drug users and unemployed and to be in touch with stat services. That we will be able to detect risk by just looking at her and the abuser. But they may not be.

Based on our IPH research, Baxter was a Fixated Threat offender.
✅️He presented well.
✅️He was charming.
✅️He was employed.
✅️He wasn't in contact with the cjs. Which made him relatively invisible to existing systems But... @ANROWS anrows.org.au/project/pathwa…

Many of the red flags which we know are associated with iph risk were there
✅️He was controlling.
✅️He was sexually abusive.
✅️They separated in the months leading up to the incident
✅️She refused to reconcile
✅️They were in the midst of a custody dispute.

And she believed he would hurt her, as evidenced by her attempts to get support from dv services and the police.

All of this is highly consistent with the Fixated Threat trajectory. Like Baxter, FT offenders enter the scene with a clear motivation to kill their partner as a way of regaining control. They're rarely intox, they come prepared, and their violence is extreme.

So what do we do to prevent Fixated Threat offenders like Baxter? Leverage the systems we already have in place and create new mechanisms for intervention.

Example 1: service integration - if a woman applies for a dvo in the context of separation, the police and dv services (appropriately funded) should be alerted to this and reach out to these women

Example 2: differentiating between high risk for reoffending vs risk of high harm violence. Many risk assessment tools used by frontline services are focused on predicting reoffending rather than homicide. Red flags should be understood by all frontline agencies

Example 3: intensive monitoring and investigation of high harm risk cases. Intelligence led policing could help here to detect online stalking as well as escalating risk. Offenders are monitored until risk declines.

Example 4: rolling out respectful relationships curriculum and supporting women and men to identify red flag behaviours and how to challenge them safely within relationships

IPH is preventable - even when confronted with charming and invisible offenders like Baxter. Suggesting otherwise is dangerous as it confirms for women what their abuser has already told them - no one will believe you and no one can help you.