Domestic violence in Germany increases over last 5 years
November 24, 2022 GMTBERLIN (AP) — The number of domestic violence victims in Germany has increased by 3.4% in the last five years and the overwhelming majority of them are women, the German government said Thursday.
A government report indicated that there were 143,604 domestic violence cases in 2021, up by 4,711 from 2017.
Report: Cyprus needs support facility for rape victims
November 23, 2022 GMTNICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus needs to set up a facility offering comprehensive support for victims of sexual violence and rape as well as a central database for all incidents of violence against women to help law enforcement deal with the problem more effectively, a new report said Wednesday.
NYPD says man killed in shootout after firing at officers
November 11, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A domestic violence suspect was killed in a shootout after he fired at officers in Brooklyn, police said.
Several of the officers were taken to hospitals for treatment, Chief of Patrol Jeffrey Maddrey said at a news conference early Friday, but details of the officers’ injuries were not released.
Auditor: Systemic failures harm CA domestic violence program
October 18, 2022 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Nearly half of California domestic violence offenders failed to complete a required program designed to prevent future assaults and judges failed to impose new sanctions almost every time, the state auditor said Tuesday.
Domestic violence charge casts shadow over judge’s race
October 8, 2022 GMTMUSKEGON, Mich (AP) — A Michigan judicial candidate is facing domestic assault charges partly based on video footage suggesting he hit his girlfriend repeatedly with a belt, prompting local domestic violence advocates to actively speak out against his candidacy.
Russia adds popular rapper, writer to “foreign agent” list
October 8, 2022 GMTThe Russian government on Friday designated a chart-topping rapper as a “foreign agent,”a label that has been widely seen as part of authorities' efforts to muzzle critical voices.
Oxxxymiron, whose real name is Miron Fyodorov, was added to the justice ministry's “foreign agent” list alongside Dmitry Glukhovsky, a veteran science-fiction writer, and Alyona Popova, a prominent feminist and one-time face of Russia's campaign for a domestic violence law.
Kentucky receiving $23M in funding for crime victim aid
September 23, 2022 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A federal program that supports crime victims is awarding almost $23 million in grants to Kentucky programs.
Funds totaling $22.8 million will go to assist 120 programs and projects, Gov.
3 Iranian citizens charged in broad hacking campaign in US
September 14, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department said Wednesday that three Iranian citizens have been charged in the United States with ransomware attacks that targeted power companies, local governments and small businesses and nonprofits, including a domestic violence shelter.
In new gun law, a quiet breakthrough for victims of abuse
September 6, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Nikiesha Thomas was on her way to work one day when she told her sister that she was thinking about getting involved with domestic violence prevention.
Officials: NC deputy shot while serving protection order
August 10, 2022 GMTSEMORA, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina sheriff’s deputy was shot multiple times Wednesday while serving a domestic violence protection order, officials said.
Sgt. Greg Ingram with the Caswell County Sheriff's Office said the deputy was one of two deputies who went to a home in Semora to serve the order, WNCN-TV reported.
Gabby Petito’s legacy: $100K for domestic violence hotline
August 4, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Even in hindsight, Nichole Schmidt can't be sure if anything could have been done to save her daughter Gabby Petito from a messy and violent relationship that ended in murder nearly a year ago in the western wilderness.
Hornets’ Bridges pleads not guilty to domestic violence
July 20, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges pleaded not guilty Wednesday to felony domestic violence charges filed by Los Angeles County prosecutors after he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in front of their two children.
Hornets forward Bridges facing 3 domestic violence charges
July 20, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges is facing three felony domestic violence charges after being accused of assaulting his girlfriend in front of their two children last month, the Los Angeles County district attorney said Tuesday.
NC governor signs bills addressing sexual assaults, alcohol
July 7, 2022 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed 11 bills on his desk into law Thursday, including legislation that addresses sexual assault, domestic violence and alcohol sales.
The signed bills were among more than three dozen that the General Assembly sent Cooper in the last two days of its work session, which ended Friday.
LAPD: Hornets’ Bridges charged with felony domestic violence
July 1, 2022 GMTCharlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges has been charged with felony domestic violence stemming from an incident earlier this week, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed Friday.
The LAPD posted on Twitter that Bridges was arrested for “intimate partner violence with injury,” a felony, on Wednesday following an incident two days earlier in West Los Angeles.
Detroit man charged in torture, sexual assault of girlfriend
June 13, 2022 GMTDETROIT (AP) — A Detroit man has been arrested after his 22-year-old girlfriend was strangled with an extension cord, sexually assaulted and burned with a metal spatula.
He was arraigned Sunday on torture, criminal sexual conduct, home invasion, felonious assault and other charges, the Wayne County prosecutor's office said Monday.
Yakima formalizes team to improve domestic violence response
June 9, 2022 GMTYAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — A team created to improve the response to domestic violence incidents in Yakima was made official Tuesday by the Yakima City Council.
Depp-Heard trial: Advocates fear chilling effect on accusers
June 3, 2022 GMTThe call came Thursday, only a day after the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard verdict, to a free legal clinic for domestic violence victims in Athens, Georgia.
Wisconsin’s high court broadens who can carry concealed guns
May 20, 2022 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — A disorderly conduct conviction can't disqualify someone from obtaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Wisconsin, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday in a unanimous decision that could dramatically broaden who can carry hidden firearms, knives and stun guns.
Jeudy’s girlfriend asks for case against him to be dismissed
May 13, 2022 GMTDENVER (AP) — The girlfriend of Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy asked a judge on Friday to dismiss a misdemeanor case against him stemming from a dispute between them.
The woman, who has a one-month-old child with Jeudy, told Judge Chantel Contiguglia that she did not feel threatened during the incident and made contact with authorities to “monitor the situation," The Denver Post reported.
Maine to make abuse protection laws easier to understand
May 6, 2022 GMTAUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine has changed its protection from abuse laws in an attempt to make them more accessible and understandable for survivors of domestic violence.
Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, has signed a bill passed by the Maine Legislature that sought to clarify the laws.
Depp trial: Psychologist testifies actor assaulted Heard
May 3, 2022 GMTFALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — Actor Amber Heard suffered post-traumatic stress disorder from violence she suffered at the hands of her ex-husband Johnny Depp, including multiple acts of sexual assault, a psychologist testified Tuesday.
WA courts mostly not using tracking law to protect people
April 29, 2022 GMTVANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — In April 2020, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed the Tiffany Hill Act into law, named after a Vancouver mother who was murdered by her estranged, abusive husband.
The law allows courts to order people accused of domestic violence to wear GPS ankle devices, which can be monitored by officials and linked to an app on the victim’s phone, alerting them when the offender is nearby.
Amber Heard’s lawyers revised article Johnny Depp sued over
April 28, 2022 GMTFALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — Amber Heard pushed to have details of her marriage with fellow actor Johnny Depp included in an op-ed piece that she wrote about domestic violence, even though her lawyers wanted those passages removed from the article, which is now the subject of a libel lawsuit, according to evidence introduced Thursday at the trial.
NFL, National Domestic Violence Hotline renew partnership
April 22, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The NFL and The National Domestic Violence Hotline have renewed their partnership for three years through a grant from the league. An agreement with RALIANCE also has been extended.
Domestic violence commission returns after nearly 10 years
April 11, 2022 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire commission to address domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking will meet again following a ten-year absence, according to an executive order signed Monday by Gov.
Plan to build housing for domestic abuse survivors underway
April 2, 2022 GMTDOVER, N.H. (AP) — Haven, New Hampshire’s largest domestic and sexual violence prevention agency, and the Dover Housing Authority are partnering to build affordable housing units for survivors of domestic violence.
California considers letting election workers hide addresses
March 28, 2022 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Elections in the U.S. have become so polarizing that California is considering treating poll workers with the same caution as domestic violence victims by letting them keep their addresses hidden from public records.
Federal agency awards $9.3M to 19 WVa organizations
March 21, 2022 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded $9.3 million for 19 organizations in West Virginia that address homelessness and domestic violence.
Ozuna addresses Braves after domestic violence ban ends
March 14, 2022 GMTVENICE, Fla. (AP) — Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna says he has addressed teammates and is sorry to fans for an arrest last year on charges of aggravated assault by strangulation and battery after police officers said they witnessed him attacking his wife.
NC top court decision keeps domestic violence ruling intact
March 12, 2022 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina's Supreme Court has upheld a lower court's ruling that said domestic violence protection orders in the state must apply to same-sex dating cases .
Domestic violence report seeks judicial feedback, legal help
March 8, 2022 GMTCONCORD, N.H (AP) — A task force created to review domestic violence cases in New Hampshire’s court system is recommending more feedback on judges' performance and increased legal help with petitions for protective orders, some of the many suggestions in a wide-ranging report released Tuesday.
Mother of 3 girls slain by father feared for their safety
March 2, 2022 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A mother of three children who were killed by their father at a Sacramento church had sought a restraining order out of fear for their safety, court documents indicate.
David Mora, 39, also fatally shot a male chaperone who was supervising a visit with his daughters Monday afternoon before taking his own life at The Church in Sacramento, a nondenominational Christian place of worship, officials said Tuesday.
Police: Texas man out on bond suspected in woman’s death
February 27, 2022 GMTFORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The body of a woman reported missing earlier this month has been found under the home of a man who had been released from jail on bond after being accused of threatening her, authorities said Saturday.
Scott Peterson juror denies bias during 2004 trial
February 26, 2022 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The juror at the heart of convicted murderer Scott Peterson’s retrial bid swore Friday that she had no animosity toward him until after she heard evidence that he had killed his pregnant wife in a case that grabbed worldwide attention in 2004.
Washington justices: Animal abuse can be domestic violence
February 17, 2022 GMTOLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously confirmed that animal abuse can constitute domestic violence.
The court issued its ruling in the case of Charmarke Abdi-Issa, a Tukwila man who was convicted of animal abuse with a domestic violence designation for savagely beating his girlfriend’s dog — a Chihuahua-dachshund mix named Mona — to death in a Seattle parking lot in 2018.
Fargo man accused of attacking wife with knife
February 16, 2022 GMTFARGO, N.D. (AP) — A Fargo man is accused of attacking his wife with a knife as she slept in their van causing her to jump from the moving vehicle, according to police.
A complaint charging the 27-year-old man with attempted murder, aggravated assault-domestic violence and theft says the victim was sleeping in a passenger seat Saturday night when she awoke to find her husband stabbing her and saying he planned to kill her.
Event seeks donations for domestic violence shelters
February 11, 2022 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kroger and other grocery stores are participating in an event that aims to collect donations for domestic violence shelters around Kentucky.
Shop and Share will be held Saturday at Kroger stores across the state as well as select Food City, Super Dollar, IGA and Save-a-Lot locations, according to a statement from Kentucky first lady Britainy Beshear, who encouraged people shopping at those locations to participate.
Senators strike bipartisan deal on domestic violence bill
February 10, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced a proposal Wednesday to reauthorize the 1990s-era law that extends protections for victims of domestic and sexual violence after it lapsed in 2019 because of Republican opposition.
Utah bill to protect pets from domestic abuse moves forward
January 23, 2022 GMTSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — One woman said her former partner bought a puppy to distract her from his alcoholism and later began threatening to mistreat the dog when she tried to get away from him.
Another told state lawmakers her abusive ex used her daughter’s service dog to control them, since he knew they couldn’t leave without the animal.
Domestic violence survivors urge more judicial training
January 22, 2022 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Advocates for domestic violence victims and people who feel they were not treated fairly by family court judges in New Hampshire called Friday on a newly created task force to provide more training for the judiciary.
Relative of jailed Alabama mayor seeks protection from abuse
January 19, 2022 GMTWETUMPKA, Ala. (AP) — A female relative of an Alabama mayor jailed on a domestic violence charge while campaigning for statewide office asked a court for protection, claiming he choked and threatened to kill her, court records show.
Domestic violence task force to hold first hearing
January 16, 2022 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A task force created to review domestic violence cases in New Hampshire’s court system is holding its first hearing this Friday.
The hearing will be at the state Supreme Court building in Concord from 1 to 4 p.m.
Probe finds ‘unintentional mistakes’ in Petito police stop
January 13, 2022 GMTSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An investigation has found that Utah police made “several unintentional mistakes” when they stopped Gabby Petito and her boyfriend before she was killed in what became a high-profile missing person case.
Boston mayor names panel to lead police commissioner search
January 6, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu appointed a five-member panel Thursday to lead the search for a new police commissioner after the previous one was ousted this year when decades-old domestic violence accusations came to light.
Police: Man took officer’s stun gun before fatal shooting
December 27, 2021 GMTELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (AP) — A suspect in a domestic violence case took an officer's stun gun and attempted to use it on him, prompting the officer to fatally shoot him, Kentucky State Police said Monday.
North Carolina man shot, killed by sheriff’s deputies
December 15, 2021 GMTBURGAW, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man was shot and killed by sheriff's deputies trying to serve a domestic violence protective order, a sheriff's office said.
Pender County Sheriff Alan Cutler said the deputies were attempting to serve the order in the Canetuck community around 10 a.m.
European court urges Russia to tackle domestic violence
December 14, 2021 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — A top European human rights court issued a ruling Tuesday urging Russia to introduce measures tackling domestic violence against women, which it said is happening on a “staggering scale” amid “systematic problems in securing prosecutions and convictions.”
Report: Data gaps leave scope of domestic violence unknown
December 12, 2021 GMTSALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah does not have a complete and accurate idea of how prevalent domestic violence is in the state. And that makes it harder to find real solutions and to help Utahns living through it, an advocate said.
Domestic violence review task force to issue report by March
December 10, 2021 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A task force created to review domestic violence cases in New Hampshire's court system has to report its conclusions and recommendations to the state's supreme court by March 1, 2022.
Domestic violence ruling a ‘reasonable application’ of law
November 30, 2021 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A judge's decision to deny a protective order to a woman who was later shot and critically injured, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend, “represented a reasonable application of current New Hampshire law to the facts of the case," an internal review concluded Tuesday.
Ozuna suspended 20 games under MLB domestic violence policy
November 29, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna received a retroactive 20-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.
Ozuna was arrested May 29 on charges of aggravated assault by strangulation and battery after police officers said they witnessed him attacking his wife.
Lifting obstacles: France helps women report abuse to police
November 25, 2021 GMTPARIS (AP) — France is launching a new process for women to formally report domestic violence and sexual and other abuse, circumventing police stations where many victims feel uncomfortable filing such complaints.
Domestic violence case under review, task force being formed
November 18, 2021 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire's judicial branch is conducting a review in the case of a woman who was shot, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend, a month after a judge denied her request for a protective order, and is forming a task force to review domestic violence cases in the court system.
Investigators: domestic violence led to Fresno girl’s death
November 14, 2021 GMTFRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Investigators say the death of an 8-year-old girl who was struck by a car in central California is related to a domestic violence incident involving a man and the girl’s mother.
Court pilot program started for domestic violence victims
October 26, 2021 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Kanawha County can now access the court system without fear of being in the same room with their assailants.
The pilot program was launched Monday by West Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Evan Jenkins.
Doorbell cameras donated to domestic violence victims
October 17, 2021 GMTCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A company is donating up to 1,000 doorbell cameras to a South Carolina organization that helps victims of domestic violence.
The South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault will give the cameras donated by Ring to 12 local organizations across the state, WLTX-TV reported.
Over $33M going to help sexual assault victims in Virginia
October 9, 2021 GMTALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — More than $33 million in U.S. Department of Justice grants has been awarded to 26 Virginia-based public and non-profit organizations to fund programs that address violence against women, a federal prosecutors says.
Justice Department awards $7.5M for WVa anticrime programs
October 6, 2021 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has awarded more than $7.5 million for anticrime programs in West Virginia.
U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito announced the funding, which is for programs at the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, West Virginia Judiciary Courts and the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services.
Ceremony honors domestic violence victims in South Carolina
October 5, 2021 GMTCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina's attorney general remembered victims of domestic violence Tuesday in a ceremony at the Statehouse.
Attorney General Alan Wilson read aloud the names of 24 women and 15 men who were killed in a domestic violence incident in the state over the previous year, accompanied by the toll of a bell for each victim.