Iowa Domestic Abuse Death Review Team
SAFETY ALERT: If you are in danger please call 911 or
the 24-hour Iowa Victim Service Call Center at 1-800-770-1650 or text ‘IOWAHELP’ to 20121
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:
Resources for the Media:
Additional Resources: