IOPC to re-investigate Lincolnshire Police over domestic abuse case involving Grantham’s Daniela Espirito Santo

A police watchdog has launched a new investigation into the way officers handled a domestic abuse case, in which a young mum-of-two died.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will reinvestigate Lincolnshire Police following the inquest into the death of Daniela Espírito Santo in Grantham held last October.

Ms Espírito Santo, 23, died at her home in the early hours of April 9, 2020, after reporting being assaulted by her partner Julio Jesus, who had previously been released on bail following another assault matter.

An inquest last October ruled that she was unlawfully killed, finding that emotional distress caused by repeated assaults triggered her heart condition and led to cardiac arrest.

The jury criticised police for “missed opportunities” to safeguard Ms Espírito Santo, including failures to record relevant offences and to fully consider controlling and coercive behaviour in Dash (Domestic Assault, Stalking and Harassment) assessments.

Officers were also found to have limited training in handling domestic abuse and coercive conduct, and one custody officer apologised to the family for an inappropriate joke made while waiting for Mr Jesus to arrive in custody.

The IOPC originally conducted an independent investigation concluding in December 2020 and found no breach of professional standards.

However, it said that new evidence that emerged during the inquest, including custody CCTV showing potentially inappropriate comments, has prompted the re-investigation.

IOPC Director Emily Barry said the decision meets the threshold for public interest and will allow scrutiny of all available evidence, ensuring that Ms Espírito Santo’s family remains informed throughout.

“Last October a jury inquest concluded Ms Espirito Santo had been unlawfully killed in her home, a place she was entitled to feel safe and protected,” she said.

“Our thoughts remain with her family and loved ones.

“A matter can only be reinvestigated by the IOPC if there are compelling reasons to do so and it’s in the public interest. We believe that criteria is met.

“A reinvestigation will enable us to further scrutinise the issues and make decisions that factor in all of the evidence now available, including the custody CCTV footage from 8 April 2020 that has come to light and captures potentially inappropriate comments in relation to the incident.

“Our re-investigation has begun and is being conducted by a new investigation team. We will continue to keep Ms Espirito Santo’s family informed of the situation and report the results of the new investigation in due course.”

Ms Espírito Santo’s death highlights ongoing concerns around domestic abuse and police response.

The National Domestic Violence Helpline is available 24/7 on 0808 2000 247 for anyone experiencing abuse.

Following the inquest Lincolnshire Police said that they would be reviewing their investigation and apologised to the family, acknowledging they could have done more.

The force has since launched a number of campaigns around this, and other domestic assault cases including its #ForHolly campaign to raise awareness of the issue.

The re-investigation is now underway, led by a new team within the IOPC.

A Lincolnshire Police spokesman said: "We do not comment on ongoing IOPC investigations, but we can confirm we are cooperating with the new investigation."

Mr Jesus was arrested and charged with manslaughter following Daniela’s death. By the time it reached court, the charge was reduced to two counts of assault due to insufficient medical evidence linking it to her death.

He was sentenced to 10 months and has since been released. He did not engage with the inquest and was believed at the time to have returned to Portugal.