Dispatches carried out a six-month investigation into children killed by parents across Britain over the past five years - with a view to learning the lessons for prevention.
The team analysed details from 163 child homicides - from court reports, inquests and serious case reviews. The key results are published in the main research findings. This includes statistical information - like the ages of the children, and how they died.
The data was also analysed for common themes and trends in relation to the background and contexts in which children were murdered. For example, Dispatches discovered that a disproportionate number of the children killed came from homes with domestic violence or where a parent suffered a mental illness.
The main findings also contain an analysis of 82 official reviews into the deaths carried out for local authorities, known as serious case reviews. These identify the main failures by key agencies such as the police, health workers, and social workers. The summaries of these failings are included in the main research findings.
The accompanying report gives a summary of some typical case studies, conclusions on the main risk factors, and recommendations - arising from the main research findings - on how we can help to reduce the number of child deaths in the future.
Download Dispatches Child Homicide Study (PDF pamphlet)
Download The Children Britain Betrayed (PDF pamphlet)
