Jessica from Grand Prairie, Texas had ended the relationship. She had returned home to get her things. While packing, she was shot by her husband.
This is just one of the many domestic violence victims commemorated in the Texas Council on Family Violence’s new report Honoring Victims in Texas, which lists the 185 domestic violence murders committed in Texas in 2019.
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month began in October 1989, and in that month the council says 2020 could be worse due to the pandemic, although the numbers are significantly down from 2018.
“We are in the middle of one of the most challenging years we can imagine. The public health and safety issues posed by the pandemic have exacerbated the risk and barriers for survivors, ”said Mikisha Hooper, report’s architect and associate at TCFV.
In 2019, 150 Texan women were killed by a male intimate partner, 31 men by their female intimate partners, and one woman and three men by same-sex intimate partners.
The majority of female victims were 30 to 39 years old, with 75% of female murders taking place in the home. The majority of male victims were between 50 and 59 years old and 81% of male murders occurred in the home.
Some key findings in the Texas Victim Honoring Victim Report for 2019 include:
- The five countries with the highest number of deaths in 2019 were Harris County with 35, Dallas County with 23, Bexar County with 13, Tarrant County with 11, and Travis County with six.
- Of the 185 victims murdered, 117 were killed with a gun.
- Of the female victims, 70 were murdered by their husbands, 50 by friends and 27 by ex-boyfriends.
Regarding focus areas that could help reverse domestic violence trends, Hooper said three things could make a difference.
“First, we must continue to confront the message that just leaving is the answer to escaping an abusive relationship because it is indeed the most dangerous time for victims. Second, we must be ready to evaluate, investigate and prosecute strangulation reports, as research shows that 43% of the murders committed by a man had the perpetrator previously strangled the victim. And we also need to deal with the increasing number of murders committed with guns. Despite federal and state laws, firearms continue to be used by abusers who are deemed too dangerous to even have one, ”Hooper said.
The report is not just about numbers.
“Domestic violence is tearing apart the very fabric of our society,” added Gloria Aguilera Terry, CEO of TCFV. “The Honoring Texas Victims report isn’t just about counting numbers. It’s about using our research to drive changes in policy, practice, and education. It is the most influential tool available to us because it speaks to the very core of our humanity. “
