Suzanne Van Hagen was found dead at home by her nine-year-old daughter on 8 February 2013. Despite initially telling the family Van Hagen had been murdered by her partner, John Worton, who was also found dead at the property, West Midlands Police later issued a press release saying her death was believed to be due to an accidental overdose.
Van Hagen’s family pursued legal action.
They claimed the police failed to take effective action despite receiving eight reports of domestic abuse prior to Van Hagen’s death. A West Midlands Police Professional Standards report later found the police response ‘very poor, inadequate…did not take this domestic violence seriously’.
A police review of the investigation also found the Senior Investigating Officer took as fact a suggestion from a pathologist that marks around Van Hagen’s neck might be linked to a sex game. This was subsequently shown not to be true. In 2019, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority concluded the marks were caused by a crime of violence which caused or contributed to her death.
The charity Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse helped the family secure a Domestic Homicide Review, which concluded Van Hagen’s death may have been prevented had ‘more positive and joined up intervention, understanding of the nature of domestic violence/coercive control…taken place’.
West Midlands Police has now admitted liability and agreed to pay compensation to the family for police failings in the case.
Sarah Ricca, partner at Deighton Pierce Glynn, which acted for the family, said: ‘This is a truly shocking case that starkly highlights the institutional discrimination women continue to face from the police in relation to domestic violence.’
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