The recent tragic triple homicide in Austin is a stark reminder that perpetrators of domestic violence can, and sometimes do, escalate to homicide. That happened at least 178 times this past year in Texas alone. The Texas Council on Family Violence’s compelling and gut-wrenching annual report offers a brief account of each Texas victim. Stephen Broderick, who is accused of the shootings in … [Read more...]
Illinois House Approves ‘Colton’s Task Force’ Domestic Violence Legislation
On Friday, April 16th, the Illinois House approved legislation sponsored by State Representative David Welter, following a horrific incident in his district in September 2019 when Christopher Miller, the estranged husband of Cassandra Tanner-Miller, was out on bond and went to Tanner-Miller’s home and brutally beat Tanner-Miller, attacked his stepdaughter, and shot and killed their 18-month old … [Read more...]
DV Victims, Reform Advocates Testify Before State Lawmakers in Support of Jennifers’ Law
CJE was honored to testify at the March 24th hearing in Connecticut on Sen. Alex Kasser's coercive control bill, SB 1060, or Jennifers' Law, in honor of Jennifer Dulos and Jennifer Magnano who were killed by their husbands. The proposed bill aims to redefine domestic violence to include nonphysical forms of abuse known as coercive control that include gaslighting, isolation, threats to take the … [Read more...]
Why Divorce Cases Involving Allegations Of Abuse Still Confound Family Courts
Across Canada, as well as the U.S., family court is a tangled, vastly under-resourced jungle that includes hundreds of lawyers, judges, child-protection workers and custody assessors. It’s a system that has long struggled to deal with cases that involve allegations of domestic violence, especially when determining custody and access. That’s in part due to a culture rife with sexist stereotypes … [Read more...]
Florida Blames Mothers When Men Batter Them – Then Takes Away Their Children
Mothers victimized by violent men told child welfare workers the truth. They expected help. Instead, they lost their children. To get their children back, they are faced with and time-consuming obstacles that often are unrelated to the allegations against them. In defiance of widely accepted best practices, Florida aggressively removes children from parents – most of them mothers – who … [Read more...]