Photo by Steve Fernie.
D.C. has seen a troubling increase this year in the number of homicides that appear to be connected to domestic violence, an issue Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier addressed in an interview yesterday.
“If you’re in an abusive relationship, the biggest problem is that people don’t think it will turn fatal,” she said on WTOP. “We’re seeing more than a double increase in domestic violence murders, not just of women … but children, as well.”
According to Lanier, 12 women have been killed so far this year, compared to 11 total in 2012, and the city has seen “a significant increase in domestic violence murders.” Three infants and toddlers have also been killed “at the hands of relatives.”
This past weekend alone, three women were killed, although Lanier said she could not comment on a connection to domestic violence until arrests were made.
Karma Cottman, executive director of the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said local groups have seen an increase in the number of women seeking services this year.
In 2013, there were 32,794 domestic violence-related calls made to MPD, an increase of nearly 1,000 calls from 2012. The number of civil protection orders increased seven percent from 2012 to 2013, according to data from the Office of the Attorney General. The number of people served at the domestic violence intake center at the D.C. Superior Court location remained the same in 2013, while the DVIC in Ward 8 saw a 20 percent increase.
“As a city, we’ve got to work on accountability for perpetrators,” Cottman said. “We can say that survivors should call, that domestic violence victims should call when they’re in need of assistance. That’s really critical and really important. But if we don’t work on accountability then they’re calling for what reason?”
Survivor access to long-term affordable housing is also key. Last year, local providers were unable to fulfill 52 service requests from victims, a 24 percent decrease from 2012. The vast majority of these requests — 77 percent — were for housing.
“Many victims are forced to stay because they don’t have access to housing,” Cottman said. “Either be homeless, or stay and be victimized.”
Domestic violence is a systematic issue, Cottman said, from police to the judicial system, housing voucher and legal access to increased resources for providers of domestic violence services. “There needs to be more of a coordinated response to perpetrators,” she added.
“When we’re looking at domestic violence and when we hear these numbers, we’re looking for a quick fix. ‘Deal with that incident.’ As if there’s one precipitating incident that leads to a domestic violence homicide, but there’s not. There are multiple incidents that lead to domestic violence homicides,” Cottman said. “It’s a system-wide, a community-wide response.”
But in the immediate, reaching out for help is how lives may be saved. Cottman said that friends and family members may be the first people victims approach, so it’s important for them to be educated about how to assist them. “That response is critical for their safety,” she said.
MPD provides a listing of resources for women affected by domestic violence. The DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence is made up of 12 member organizations, including advocacy groups Ayuda and DC Safe (Survivors and Advocates for Empowerment), teen dating violence non-profit Break the Cycle, and housing services including House of Ruth and My Sister’s Place. In addition to tracking and advocating for pieces of legislation, the Coalition provides training to local programs and works on community awareness.
