"Gold standard" domestic homicide review
Verita's review into the murder of Julia Pemberton and her son William by her husband was one of the first to be conducted in line with section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. Neil Websdale, professor of criminology and principal project adviser to the National Domestic Violence Fatality Review Initiative and a leading world expert on death reviews, commented on the review:
"The Pemberton Homicide Review constitutes a landmark achievement in the field of domestic violence fatality or homicide review. It is meticulous in its approach, honest in its conclusions and forward thinking in its recommendations. As such, the review sets a gold standard in terms of its detailed appreciation of the complex issues in domestic violence cases and its pressing calls for agency accountability and interagency liaison."
The review was debated in the House of Commons in 2009 and has been used by advocates for the families of victims to raise the profile of domestic abuse.