N OVEMBER 2025
The Most Accurate Predictor Of A Domestic Violence Homicide Tuesday 25 November 2025 Alyson Richelle The most accurate predictor of a domestic violence homicide is not a checklist, a tool, or a
form. It’s the victim’s fear. That is what the research now shows. And heartbreakingly ~ it’s what survivors have been saying all along. Hannah Clarke said she was scared.
She reported patterns. She named behaviours. She tried to protect her children.
But her fear was minimised. Her insights were dismissed. Her danger was underestimated. Not because she didn’t speak clearly ~ but because the system did not listen clearly. Red flags were rationalised Patterns were misinterpreted Trauma responses were misunderstood Coercive control was downplayed Her voice wasn’t seen as data Her fear wasn’t seen as evidence
This is the cost of behavioural illiteracy. This is the cost of relying on paperwork instead of patterns. This is the cost of a system that prioritises process over people. And it’s still happening. Every week I work with people who are: • dismissed • disbelieved • misidentified
• told they’re “overreacting” • told “there’s no evidence” • told to “wait until something happens”
But something has already happened. It happens in the tone. In the escalation cycles. In the veiled threats.
In the silence. In the control. In the sudden switches. In the fear they can feel in their bones. Victims are not dramatic. They are accurate. Their nervous systems read danger long before systems catch up. Hannah Clarke should still be here. The Most Accurate Predictor Of A Domestic Violence Homicide Page 18 of 44
Maggie Marriott
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs