Domestic Violence Statistics: Almost Half of Murdered Women Are Killed by a Romantic Partner

 Posted on August 31, 2017 in Family Law

As a woman under the age of 45, are you more likely to be killed by a stranger in a dark alley or by someone you know? According to a recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, 55 percent of killings in women under 45 were intimate partner violence-related. The CDC defines this as killings that occurred at the hands of a current or former partner or the partner’s family or friends. In the vast majority of these cases (93 percent), the assailant was an intimate partner or an ex. Perhaps surprisingly, strangers committed 16 percent of all female homicides in this group.

What to Do If You Are in a Marriage with Domestic Violence

Given these statistics, if you are involved in a relationship where there is domestic violence, your life could be in danger. Experts advise that victims of domestic violence should not assume that they will be safer in the future or that the abuse will never rise to a fatal level.

Fortunately, Illinois law provides several protections for victims of domestic violence. One of the most common is called an Order of Protection. In such an order, a judge can order that the abuser:

• Stay away from the victim and the victim’s school, work or home;
• Refrain from contacting the victim through any means;
• Enroll in counseling;
• Move out of the family home; and
• Pay child support.

Orders of Protection may be granted on an emergency, interim, or long-term basis. Depending on the type of order sought, there may be a hearing with both parties required. However, for an emergency order, the victim’s testimony can be enough.

Call a Hinsdale, IL Divorce Lawyer

If you are thinking about divorce due to domestic violence, you should contact an attorney who can evaluate your case and lay out your options for you. Allegations of domestic violence can change the course of divorce and child custody proceedings, so it is important to fully understand the ramifications of such accusations. In addition, a lawyer can act as a buffer between you and your ex and keep all legal proceedings professional.

Likewise, if you are being accused of domestic violence, it is important to seek counsel. If proven, domestic violence can impact multiple aspects of your divorce proceedings, including child custody.

Call an experienced DuPage County, IL divorce attorney at the Law Office of Martoccio & Martoccio at 630-920-8855 today.

Source:

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6628a1.htm?s_cid=mm6628a1_w

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/07/homicides-women/534306/

https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/getting-order-protection-domestic-violence

http://www.womenslaw.org/laws_state_type.php?id=509&state_code=IL#content-7808