Georgia Fatality Review is Released

Taken from a press release by the Georgia Commission on Family Violence and the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence:

(Atlanta) In just two years, Georgia has improved from 7th to 14th in the nation for the rate at which men kill women in single-victim homicides, but experts say there is much more work to be done, especially in the area of educating family and friends about how to effectively support abuse victims and intervene with abusers. Today, two statewide domestic violence agencies released a report analyzing homicides and near-deadly assaults of Georgia women. The Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Georgia Commission on Family Violence have jointly published their 5th annual Domestic Violence Fatality Review Report, a document that provides analysis of cases in which Georgians have lost their lives due to domestic violence. The report also provides recommendations and strategies that communities in Georgia can utilize to end domestic violence in their area.

After reviewing 89 of Georgia’s domestic violence fatalities, the two groups found that many people experiencing domestic violence tend to seek help primarily from their friends, family members, neighbors, coworkers, employers, and faith communities. Members of these groups often try to help, but lack the tools to do so effectively. The report offers basic messages that anyone can convey to people who are being abused or abusers so that they are better prepared to respond when a friend or loved one is in a violent relationship. In addition, in all the cases reviewed, less than one-fifth of homicide victims had had contact with a domestic violence agency or safehouse in the five years leading up to the homicide – suggesting that many of those in great danger often are unaware of or not accessing available resources. “Clearly, it is imperative to find ways to connect more people with the domestic violence hotline,”said Beck Dunn, Executive Director of GCADV. The statewide, toll-free hotline number is 1-800-33-HAVEN (42836) voice/TTY.

Referencing the Violence Policy Center’s 2008 study, in which Georgia moved in just two years from 7th to 14th in the nation for the rate at which men kill women in single-victim homicides (most of which are domestic violence deaths), Kirsten Rambo, Executive Director of GCFV, noted, “We are making some good progress in Georgia, but we still have a long way to go. Domestic violence deaths can be prevented only when communities take a stand against domestic violence and work together to stop it.”

In 2008, at least 111 Georgians lost their lives to domestic violence. There were at least 118 deaths due to domestic violence in Georgia in 2007. The Domestic Violence Fatality Report can be used as a tool in every community to end violence in the home.

To access the report for free online, or for information about the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Georgia Commission on Family Violence, please go to http://www.gcadv.org/ or http://www.gcfv.org/. The report is also available at http://www.fatalityreview.com/.