UK plans tougher sentences for domestic murders with coercive control

Ministers planned to lift the sentencing starting point for some domestic murders from 15 years to 25 years, closing a 10-year gap with other murders where a weapon is brought to the scene with intent. The change was aimed at killings preceded by coercive or controlling behaviour, and it was part of the wider pledge to halve violence against women and girls.

Under the current framework in England and Wales, most domestic murders begin at 15 years because the killing often takes place at home with a weapon already there. That setup leaves a legal blind spot, since the same offence can draw a 25-year starting point when the offender brings a weapon with intent. The government argued domestic murders with coercive control should be treated more like other murders, regardless of whether the attack happened in a house or elsewhere.

The Domestic Homicide Sentencing Review led by Clare Wade KC was published on 17 March 2023, and the government’s full response followed on 20 July 2023. In the consultation on tougher sentences, which ran from 27 November 2023 to 4 March 2024, the Ministry of Justice said over half of the murder cases analysed involved a history of controlling or coercive behaviour, 60 percent involved sustained and excessive violence described as overkill, and just under half were linked to the end of the perpetrator’s relationship with the victim.

Government analysis has also found that domestic murders caught by the 15-year starting point often end up with minimum terms above 15 years because aggravating factors are added, but usually not enough to match a 25-year baseline. The review found that cases pushed from 15 years to 25 years or more were usually outliers with other major aggravating features, not the norm.

The Office for National Statistics recorded 108 domestic homicides in England and Wales in the year ending March 2024, including 83 women and 25 men, with 66 victims killed by a partner or ex-partner. The Office for National Statistics later put the figure at 111 domestic homicides in the year ending March 2025, with 75 women and 36 men and 67 killed by a partner or ex-partner. The Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated that 2.3 million people aged 16 and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2024.

Refuge welcomed the tougher-sentencing consultation. The charity runs the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. In December 2024, the government said it would ask the Law Commission to review homicide law and the murder sentencing framework while bringing forward short-term legislation on the remaining domestic homicide recommendations.