Iowa Domestic Abuse Death Review Team

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SAFETY ALERT: If you are in danger please call 911 or
the 24-hour Iowa Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-942-0333 or the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.

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The Iowa Domestic Abuse Death Review Team was established in 2000 to identify the causes and manner of deaths resulting from domestic abuse in Iowa. It is established by statute in the Code of Iowa, Chapter 135.108-135.112. Team members are appointed by the Director of the Department of Public Health for a term of three years, and they meet up to six times per year to review cases of homicide and suicide resulting from domestic violence. In a biannual report, case data is presented to identify contributing factors to the deaths and form the basis for recommendations for the prevention of future domestic abuse-related deaths.

The team is comprised of representatives of the following disciplines:

• State medical examiner,
• licensed physician or nurse,
• licensed mental health professional,
• representative of the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence,
• certified substance abuse professional,
• law enforcement official and law enforcement investigator,
• prosecuting attorney,
• judge,
• clerk of court,
• batterer's education program facilitator,
• criminal defense attorney,
• persons who have experienced domestic violence, and
• family member of a person whose death resulted from domestic violence.

There are nine state agencies that designate liaisons to the team:

Department of Corrections	Department of Public Health
Department of Education	Department of Public Safety
Department of Human Rights	Iowa Law Enforcement Academy
Department of Human Services	State Court Administrator
Department of Justice

The team is staffed by the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Reports:

• Biennial Report for Calendar Year 2007-08 (December 2009)  
• Executive Summary - Calendar Year 2007-08   
• Key findings from case reviews 2000-2004  

Resources for the Media:

• Domestic Violence: A Guide for Media Coverage  
• Domestic Violence: Quick Reference Guide for Media Coverage  

Additional Resources:

• Code of Iowa Chapter 135  
• Administrative rules  
• Danger Assessment (developed by Jacquelyn C. Campbell, PhD, RN)  
• National Domestic Violence Fatality Review Initiative  

 

For more information about the Domestic Abuse Death Review Team, contact (515) 281-5032 or use the "Contact Us" page for additional information or assistance.