Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDRs)

Under section 8A of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 (as amended by section 19 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024), a Domestic Abuse Related Death Review (DARDR), formerly known as Domestic Homicide Review (DHR), is a review of the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from domestic abuse, with a view to identifying the lessons to be learned from the death. Domestic abuse related deaths can involve victims who die by suicide or in unexplained or unclear circumstances.

A DARDR provides an opportunity for national and local agencies, local communities, and society as a whole to consider each victim individually and treat every death as preventable. 

The Home Office published revised statutory guidance for Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDRs), formerly known as Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs), on 15 September 2026.