Homicide

What is Homicide?

Homicide, which includes both murder and manslaughter, is a priority under the UK Government’s Serious Violence Strategy which reports a rise in deaths resulting from male-on-male violence. It is suggested that the drug markets are responsible for driving recent increases in serious violence with drug related cases accounting for around half the increase in homicide since 2014. This trend has continued since the strategy was published in 2018, with the Beating Crime Plan 2021 reporting that in the year to March 2020 48% of homicides were drug-related.

The Homicide Index shows that the average homicide rate per population in the 10% most deprived areas is seven times greater than the rate in the 10% least deprived. Those aged 16 to 24 are more likely than older groups to die at the hands of another. Furthermore, research has highlighted, for every white victim of homicide aged 16 to 24 between 2018 and 2019, there were 24 black victims.

The index also shows that 73% of victims in the year to March 2020 were male, but 58% of adult female homicide victims were killed by someone they knew, such as a partner or ex-partner (see Domestic Violence).

Homicide reviews are undertaken when a child or a vulnerable adult die, or when the death occurs in a domestic setting (see Domestic Homicide Review). The UK Government are planning to introduce Offensive Weapon Homicide Reviews under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.