Snohomish County’s domestic violence fatality review team will meet this summer to discuss recommendations based on its first case, which it heard in April.
The panel includes police officers, prosecutors, advocates and other officials.
“The next meeting is to discuss issues highlighted in that process, the next steps they want to take,” said Kelly Starr, domestic violence fatality review coordinator for the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
The confidential case reviews aim to identify gaps in the justice system and prevent future deaths.
“We’re in the really early stages of this process” in Snohomish County, Starr said. But “there’s really a strong commitment to looking at a case and seeing what we can learn from it.”
Individual cases won’t be discussed publicly, however, and findings focus on areas that need improvement instead of the work of a specific officer or agency.
Statewide, about one-third of women murdered are killed by their current or former partners, said Starr, who helped set up the group here.
Last year, several shootings were tied to domestic violence. In 2002, at least six people in Snohomish County died in domestic-violence related homicides, according to the state coalition.
Snohomish County is the 13th county in the state to form a fatality review panel.
Reporter Katherine Schiffner: 425-339-3436 or schiffner@heraldnet.com
Follow-up file
What happened: Snohomish County formed a domestic violence fatality review team in January.
What’s new: The team heard its first case in April.
What’s next: The local team will meet quarterly, then contribute to statewide recommendations to be issued in January.
Follow-up file
What happened: Snohomish County formed a domestic violence fatality review team in January.
What’s new: The team heard its first case last month.
What’s next: The local team will meet quarterly, then contribute to statewide recommendations issued in January 2005.
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