North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson and the North Carolina Department of Justice are launching a statewide effort aimed at preventing domestic violence deaths by bringing together local fatality review teams from across the state.

Currently, five North Carolina counties are authorized to conduct domestic violence fatality reviews. The new statewide collective will allow those teams to share data, identify patterns, and develop stronger recommendations to help prevent future violence. State officials say 13 people have died in domestic violence-related homicides and suicides in North Carolina so far this year.

The review teams include prosecutors, law enforcement officers, domestic violence survivors, medical examiners, and victim service providers. They examine how domestic violence homicides and suicides occur and look for possible interventions that could prevent similar tragedies in the future.

The Department of Justice also continues to support victims through programs including the state’s Lethality Assessment Program and the Address Confidentiality Program, which helps survivors keep their addresses private from abusers. Anyone experiencing domestic violence can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for support.