Sudden death & domestic abuse policies 700/2026

FOI Reference: 700/2026

Request 1 - 7:

This request is limited to current policy documents only. I am not asking for case material, audits, training records, historic versions, internal reviews or correspondence.

Please provide copies of the current policy, procedure, standard operating procedure or formal guidance used by your force that governs:

1. Sudden unexpected death / unexplained death / apparent suicide

The current force policy or procedure for sudden unexpected death, unexplained death, apparent suicide, suspected suicide, or death where no crime is initially apparent.

2. Domestic abuse or coercive-control context in apparent suicide or sudden death

Any current policy or policy section that requires officers or staff to consider domestic abuse, coercive control, stalking, harassment, recent separation, recent relationship conflict, family/friend concern, prior domestic abuse call-outs, or partner/ex-partner involvement when attending or investigating a sudden death or apparent suicide.

3. Classification and provisional decision-making

Any current policy or policy section stating whether a death initially considered apparent suicide or non-suspicious should remain provisional where domestic abuse, coercive control, stalking, harassment, digital abuse, prior police contact or family concern may be relevant.

4. Evidence preservation and contemporaneous accounts

Any current policy or policy section on scene preservation, evidence preservation, decision logs, supervisory review, or taking contemporaneous accounts at the scene and at the time in sudden death or apparent suicide cases.

5. Digital evidence

Any current policy or policy section on seizure, preservation, download, retention, examination or release of digital devices or digital data in sudden death, apparent suicide or domestic abuse-context deaths, including phones, laptops, tablets, cloud accounts, messages, call logs, social media or search history.

6. Family liaison and death notification

Any current policy or policy section on family liaison, family contact, bereavement communication or death notification in sudden death or apparent suicide cases.

Please include any policy section that explains whether classification as apparent suicide affects whether a Family Liaison Officer, specialist family contact officer, or bereavement-trained officer/practitioner can be allocated.

7. DHR / DARDR / suspected victim suicide following domestic abuse

Any current policy or policy section on referral to Domestic Homicide Review, Domestic Abuse Related Death Review, or suspected victim suicide following domestic abuse processes where a death is initially recorded as apparent suicide.

 

Response 1:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Sudden and Unexpected Deaths Investigation Policy | Dyfed-Powys Police

Response 2:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Domestic Abuse Policy | Dyfed-Powys Police

Response 3:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Please see above link.

Response 4:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Please see sudden death policy (link at response 1).

Response 5:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

• seizure is dealt with under the national guidelines around Section 19 of PACE or seized for the coroner if there is no suspicion of a crime.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sudden-unexpected-death-medical-investigation/practice-advice-dealing-with-sudden-unexpected-death-accessible

https://assets.college.police.uk/s3fs-public/2023-08/Categories-for-unexpected-death-investigations.pdf

• The Forensic Science Regulator Codes of Practice [Version 2] are adhered to during analysis.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/forensic-science-activities-statutory-code-of-practice-version-2/forensic-science-activities-statutory-code-of-practice-version-2-accessible

• data retention is managed under PIRM[2023] rules(formerly MOPI), which for us generally stand at 6 years, 30 years and 100 years.  

https://www.college.police.uk/guidance/police-information-and-records-management-code-practice

Dyfed-Powys Police utilises national standards and policies held by the College of Policing. There are no separate Dyfed-Powys Police policies.

Response 6:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

I can confirm that there is no information held by Dyfed-Powys Police due to the fact that there is no current policy in existence.

Please note: Policy under construction at this time.

Response 7:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Please see sudden death policy (link at response 1).

                                                           

(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 10/08/2026)

Os oes angen y wybodaeth yma arnoch yn Gymraeg, cysylltwch â: [email protected] If you require this information in Welsh, please contact: [email protected]