Finding into death of Mrs A

61y · Female·Ligature neck compression in the setting of blunt force head trauma

A 61-year-old woman of Bulgarian descent was fatally assaulted by her estranged husband in a domestic violence incident. She died from ligature neck compression following blunt force head trauma. The perpetrator had multiple documented family violence risk factors including prior threats, controlling behaviour, unemployment, and depression. He was receiving mental health treatment but did not disclose violent behaviour to his psychologist. The case highlights that general practitioners and mental health professionals are uniquely positioned to identify family violence and intervene early, particularly when treating both perpetrators and victims. Better screening, documentation, and communication between healthcare providers about family violence risk factors, combined with access to specialist services and third-party support resources, could have facilitated earlier intervention.