Sergeant Boxx and Senior Constable Bailey are both members of the Australian Federal Police attached to ACT Policing. They have backgrounds in Community Policing including General Duties, Watch House and Investigations. They worked together in the Family Violence Unit as investigators, project officers and liaisons working collaboratively with the ACT Government, domestic and family violence support services, researchers and policy makers, including co-authoring this research article.
Presentation
More Than Meets The Eye
Mr Caleb Boxx1, Mr Dave Williams1, Ms Laura Bailey1, Dr Vanita Parekh2,3, Ms Anna Brkic2, Ms Janine McMinn2, Dr Kate Reid2,4
1Family Violence and Victims of Crime – ACT Policing, Belconnen, Australia, 2Clinical Forensic Medical Services, Canberra Hospital, Garran, Australia, 3The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, 4Ophthalmic Adviser to Clinical Forensic Medical Services, Canberra Hospital, Garran, Australia
The known:
The eyelids and conjunctiva may be injured by blunt force due to assault. Assault may include non-fatal strangulation (NFS), which carries an odds ratio greater than 6 for a woman becoming a victim of attempted or completed homicide in the future. NFS often occurs in the context of domestic family violence (DFV).
Blunt force can injure the eye itself, threatening vision either because of immediate injury, or because of long-term complications.
The new:
Lid and conjunctival injuries (LACI), also known as “black eyes”, occur in 26.9% of victims presenting to police after non-sexual assault. In this study, 47.4% of those with LACI had also been subjected to NFS and are therefore at a greatly increased risk of future homicide. A protocol for photographic recording of LACI is provided.
The implications:
NFS is a recognised predictor of future homicide risk, making LACI an important identifiable risk factor for an extremely serious threat to a victim’s survival. Information about the links between LACI, NFS and DFV should be part of DFV education for both police and clinicians. LACI warrants a full clinical examination of the eye by an optometrist or ophthalmologist, to manage any associated ocular injury.
These conclusions are expected to assist with informing and shaping Police responses to LACI in a DFV context, specifically in relation to referral to appropriate medical treatment, risk assessment, and forensic evidence capture. Accurate photographic recording, with victim consent, can drive successful prosecutions and effect legislative reform to deter future offending.