Domestic Violence Headlines for the Week of Sept. 8

Each passing week brings new headlines, but the pattern is tragically familiar—domestic violence persists as a silent epidemic demanding our attention.

Update: In our Aug. 25 headlines, we reported that Johanna Smith of Uniontown, Ohio had been reported missing and was suspected to be with her abusive boyfriend. According to Uniontown police, Smith was located and is reportedly safe. No other details are known about her or the boyfriend at this time, but we’re glad to share this news. 

Louisiana Woman Beaten to Death by Boyfriend

A Shreveport, La., woman was violently murdered over the weekend by her boyfriend, Jacobi Hughes. Shreveport Police responded to a home around 8:30 a.m. Saturday to find the body of 27-year-old Kalisia Franklin. The room where she was discovered showed extensive signs of a struggle, report police, suggesting he brutally assaulted her. Franklin was taken to a hospital where she later died. 

Hughes has a history of charges related to domestic violence and improper supervision of a minor, resulting in an injury to a 6-year-old child, dating back to 2013. 

The young woman’s death is the 26th confirmed homicide to date in Shreveport this year alone. Louisiana has consistently ranked among the top five states in the country for domestic violence homicides since 1997, coming in at number five in a 2020 study.  

It’s vital that survivors are not only believed but also supported the first time they come forward with the disclosure of domestic abuse. Too many survivors feel a sense of responsibility for ending their own abuse and often return to abusers multiple times, sometimes out of fear, a lack of somewhere else to go or because they hope that things will change. Each time further increases their risk of harm. 

“Victims are constantly trying to do better and to be better. They’re feeling that the abuse is their fault when, in reality, it’s not about what they’re doing. It’s a way of the abuser controlling them and telling them they’re not good enough,” Cindy J. Kanusher, Esq., executive director of the Pace Women’s Justice Center in White Plains, N.Y., told DomesticShelters.org.   

Source: Yahoo.com

Two Women Stabbed, One Fatally, After Abusive Roommate Served with Assault Charges

Two women in Kirkland, Wash., were stabbed on the night of Sept. 4 by an ex-roommate of one of the victims after he was notified that she had filed sexual assault charges against him. The police report, released this week, says that when officers responded to a 911 call at an apartment complex just after 11 p.m., they found the two women and “blood everywhere.” 

One victim, a 78-year-old woman, was stabbed 17 times and later died at the hospital. The woman’s daughter, age 54, was the second victim, but survived being stabbed more than 40 times. She identified Fardin Salehiyan as her attacker and told police they used to be roommates. Police said Salehiyan had a history of domestic violence against the surviving victim and that his threats toward her had been escalating. 

Salehiyan was later found with blood on his clothes and subsequently arrested. Prosecutors asked for his bail to be set at $10 million. 

Domestic violence is not only limited to intimate partnerships—abusers can also be a family member, boss, caretaker or even a roommate. Any situation in which one person exhibits a pattern of power and control over another constitutes domestic abuse. Just like any other type of abusive situation, abuse by a roommate can escalate from threats of violence to outright physical violence, even homicide. It’s important to notice the signs, including not respecting someone’s boundaries, isolating the person from others or obtaining a weapon. Learn how to break a lease legally in “Moving Out After Abuse: How to Break Your Lease—Legally.” 

Survivors should consider obtaining an order of protection after filing a police report against an abuser, especially if the perpetrator is not arrested or makes bail immediately. Abusers can be unpredictable and their threats should never be underestimated. 

Source: KOMO News

Arizona Abuser Released Before Trial, Kills Woman He Previously Strangled

A Tucson, Ariz., man awaiting trial for strangling his girlfriend was granted pretrial release; shortly after, he killed her and then himself. Michael Martinez Duran, 48, shot Michelle Ohnesorgen Johnson, 47, on Monday. 

In May, Duran was arrested after Johnson said he strangled her several times to the point of her losing consciousness. He also struck her in the face and, while pointing a gun at her, asked her if she wanted to die. 

He was arrested last November for a similar assault against Johnson involving strangulation. 

Strangulation is known to be the highest predictor of murder later on by that abusive partner. Acclaimed domestic violence expert Jacquelyn Campbell determined that being strangled by a partner even one time increases a victim’s risk of homicide by that perpetrator over 600 percent. In a study of homicide victims killed by an intimate partner, it was found that 43 percent had experienced a non-fatal strangulation by their partner prior to their murder. In attempted homicides by an intimate partner, 45 percent of victims had been strangled before the attempted murder. 

Many survivors do not realize how dangerous strangulation is, especially when they regain consciousness or see no visible marks left behind. Sometimes, this can also make the crime harder to prove to law enforcement or the courts. But no matter how long pressure is applied to the neck, strangulation can cause long-term injuries, even delayed death. Survivors should always seek medical attention after a strangulation and consider reaching out to a domestic violence advocate for support. 

Source: Arizona Daily Star

Newest Bachelorette Calls Previous DV Arrest a “Wake-Up Call”

Most domestic violence headlines are dominated by male perpetrators. That’s just the simple truth—men perpetuate the majority of intimate partner violence. But women, too, can use force. One of those women made headlines in 2023 for her domestic violence arrest, and this week, was in the news again for being chosen as the newest Bachelorette for ABC’s long-running reality series. 

Taylor Frankie Paul, 31, known for Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, was arrested two years ago and faced misdemeanor charges of assault, criminal mischief and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child. Though all charges were eventually dropped, Paul says the incident was the “hardest time” in her life. During the argument that preceded the arrest, Paul and ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen got into an argument during which Paul threw a chair at Mortensen that allegedly struck her 6-year-old daughter. The child did not suffer any serious injuries. 

Paul, who also has two other children, said on a recent podcast that she’s glad the incident was caught on camera while filming her reality show because it helped her “wake up.” She calls it a blessing in disguise. However, experts in domestic violence caution that genuine behavioral change among abusers is uncommon and often requires long-term accountability, monitoring and evidence of consistent progress. Stories of complete reformation are the exception rather than the rule, which makes it difficult to know when public narratives of “moving on” truly reflect change—or simply a fresh start in the spotlight.

“I did have a lot of time of grieving and loss … that was, yeah, one of my lowest nights on freaking TV, and it's embarrassing. But with that has come a lot of learning lessons, and I've become a better mom because of it.”

The reasons women use abusive tactics often aren’t the same as the reasons men do, say experts. It’s less often rooted in power and control and more often due to a loss of autonomy, a reaction to abuse or unresolved trauma from childhood abuse. However, no use of force is ever acceptable, and no one deserves to feel unsafe in a relationship. Men are more likely to stay silent when they are the victims of abuse due to harmful male stereotypes. To learn more, read, “When Women Use Force.”

Source: People.com