For Immediate Release:
Friday, October 27, 2023
Contact:
Nazneen Ahmed (919) 716-0060
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein and Congresswoman Deborah Ross today led a listening session with domestic violence service providers representing rural and urban counties in central North Carolina. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“Domestic violence service providers are on the ground in North Carolina helping victims get to safety,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “I’m deeply grateful for the advocates who took time to share updates with me and Congresswoman Ross, and we’ll keep working at DOJ to help reduce the harms of domestic violence.”
“We must do more to prevent domestic violence and ensure survivors in North Carolina and beyond can get the care they need and are able to seek justice in court,” said Congresswoman Ross. “I’m thankful to have a leader like Attorney General Josh Stein in North Carolina and was grateful to hear more from our dedicated domestic violence service providers today. I will continue fighting in Congress to ensure that our local law enforcement agencies and providers have the resources they need to address domestic and sexual violence across our state.”
In North Carolina, 59 people have died from domestic violence-related homicides so far in 2023, up 25 percent from 47 homicides in 2022.
Congresswoman Ross has championed the Violence Against Women Act, which makes vital improvements to programs and laws dealing with gender-based violence and addresses gaps in current law based on extensive consultation with victim service providers, law enforcement, and other experts.
Attorney General Stein has led the statewide rollout of the Lethality Assessment Program, which provides a set of criteria for law enforcement officers to refer to when responding to a domestic violence incident. Based on the criteria, an officer can determine whether a victim is at risk of dying by homicide and connect the victim to service providers for support and resources. More information on the Department of Justice’s work to address domestic violence is available here.
Participants in today’s listening session were:
- Nisha Williams, Legal Director, North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- Kathleen Lockwood, Policy Director, North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- Carianne Fisher, Executive Director, North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- Christian Adams, Executive Director, Compass Center
- Morgan Charlier, Director of Court Advocacy and Community Response, Compass Center
- Monica Kearney, Executive Director, Safe Space
- Kanika Weeks, Executive Director, Infinite Possibilities Inc.
- Katrusia Johnson, Executive Director, Harbor Inc.
- Skye Sullivan, Director, Alamance County Family Justice Center
- Rhonda Raney, Executive Director, InterAct
- Natalia Botella, Deputy Director, Public Protection Section, North Carolina Department of Justice
If you are in a relationship where you feel unsafe or abused, resources are available to help you determine what the next best steps are for your life and your specific situation. You can start by contacting the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or at https://www.thehotline.org.
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