Headlines for the Week of May 26

This week, like too many others, reminded us how common—and how deadly—domestic violence remains. Here are some headlines you may have missed. 

Tennessee Governor Signs Domestic Violence Offender Registry into Law

A new law signed into effect in Tennessee on Tuesday will create a public domestic violence offender registry, one of the first of its kind in the U.S. Governor Bill Lee signed off on the legislation, known as Savanna’s Law in honor of domestic violence victim Savanna Puckett. Puckett, a sheriff’s deputy for Robertson County, was only 22 when she was murdered in 2022 in Springfield, Tenn., by her ex-boyfriend, James Jackson Conn. The couple had reportedly dated less than three months when Puckett broke things off. Days before her murder, Puckett called a fellow sheriff to respond to her home after seeing a suspicious car in her driveway. A search of the license plate number revealed it was Conn. 

Stalking is most often perpetrated by a target’s current or ex-partner and is illegal in all 50 states. However, victims more often than not downplay its severity or, after trying to report being stalked, or not taken seriously by law enforcement. Yet stalking is often a precursor to in-person violence, which is exactly what happened to Puckett.

A few days later, Conn returned to Puckett’s home and shot her eight times and killed her dog before starting her house on fire. He was arrested the next day after an hours-long standoff. He pled guilty and was sentenced to 60 years for murder and two consecutive 30-year sentences for aggravated arson and burglary. He will not be eligible for parole for at least 75 years. 

It was discovered that Conn had a lengthy history of domestic violence assault charges and criminal trespassing against multiple women, yet was free to continue to find new victims, like Puckett.  

Tennessee’s new registry will mimic sex offender registries that are already in use. It will include offenders’ names, dates of birth, conviction dates and counties of conviction, and will be overseen by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. 

Critics of perpetrator registries say that the problem lies in the fact that very few domestic violence offenses ever result in a conviction. 

“So many individuals who have perpetrated domestic violence have flown under the radar,” Connie Neal, executive director of the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, told DomesticShelters.org in 2019. “Maybe, at best, 10 percent of offenders come to the attention of the criminal justice system, even fewer are felonies,” says Neal. 

Domestic violence is an immensely underreported crime for various reason—survivors are often afraid of consequences from the abuser if they call police or they are coerced into recanting by the abuser if there is an arrest. The fear is that a registry will give potential victims a false sense of security, even though the majority of individuals who exert power and control over partners will continue to go undetected. 

Source: Fox 17 Nashville 

Ohio Police Officer Fatally Shot Responding to Domestic Violence Call

A Memorial Day shooting left a Morrow County, Ohio Sheriff’s deputy dead after he responded  to a domestic violence call in Marengo, a town about 35 miles north of Columbus. The deputy, Daniel Sherrer, 31, arrived at a house around 7:40 p.m. and saw a man sitting on the porch. As he approached and tried to talk to him, the suspect, Brian Michael Wilson, 53, threatened Sherrer with a gun, saying, “You better just f***ing go if you want your family to see you tomorrow,” opening fire soon after. Sherrer returned fire, wounding the suspect, who remains in serious condition. Sherrer died that same night at the hospital. Sherrer had been with the department since March 2021. 

It has not yet been released who made the initial 911 call, but deputies say the house Wilson was at was not under his name. Court records show Wilson had an extensive list of convictions dating back to the ‘90s for charges related to domestic violence, assault and a firearm violation. He was once ordered to surrender any firearms in his possession for two years.

It’s estimated that nearly a quarter of officer “line of duty” deaths occur while responding to domestic violence calls, making them one of the most dangerous calls for law enforcement. Domestic violence calls are also believed to make up the most common calls police respond to. The danger isn’t limited to calls involving an active conflict with an abuser—it also arises when officers serve warrants or orders of protection. 

“[Abusers are] dangerous people,” says Michael P. LaRiviere, a police officer who does domestic violence training for national organizations, including the National Sheriffs’ Association. “They’re about power and control, and law enforcement officers represent the authority to take away their freedoms.”

To learn more, read “How Police Are Trained to Respond to Domestic Violence Calls.”

Source: NBC4.com

Femicide Abroad—Two Women Murdered by Their Husbands in India 

This week, two women in India were brutally murdered by their husbands—a grim reminder that domestic violence knows no borders. On Tuesday in the Indian city of Vijayapura, a man named Basavachari (last name not released), 48, bludgeoned his wife, Suma, 36, to death with a metal dumbbell after it was suspected they got into an argument. He then killed himself. Their bodies were discovered by their 14-year-old son after he returned from school. The couple also share another son, aged 12. The couple had been married for 16 years and reportedly often argued. Police say they suspect a dispute related to a property site may have triggered Basavachari’s attack, but advocates would attest that domestic violence homicide has much deeper roots in misogyny and entitlement. 

On that same day in the nearby city of Chikkamagaluru, a man named Avinash, 32, killed his wife Keerthi, 26, by stabbing her more than 10 times. The assailant then fled, and police launched a manhunt to locate him. The couple had been married for four years but it was reported that they had recently started arguing. According to Indian media, Avinash killed his wife in a fit of rage. However, it’s not usually as simple as that. Abusers are known to escalate their violence over time. Despite how they may be portrayed, abusers rarely just “lose control”—quite the opposite, say advocates. Abusers are often very much in control, and plan the murders of their spouses over time. 

Gender-based violence occurs worldwide, with femicide—or the murder of women and girls because of their gender—taking various forms based on cultural traditions that should be, but aren’t entirely, outdated. This includes dowry deaths, bride burning and acid attacks. The rate of domestic violence in Indian women could be as high as 45 percent, say researchers. 

Priya Suman, advocate and trainer with Manavi, the first organization established in the U.S. to specifically help South Asian immigrants facing domestic violence, told DomesticShelters.org in 2016 that while South Asian families, by and large, don’t support domestic violence, there is still an underlying tone in many South Asian cultures that men are afforded certain privileges. These privileges, she says, can blur the line between socially acceptable and abusive. 

“There is a reputation at stake for these families,” she says. 

Regardless of country, there are certain universal signs that an abuser is escalating their violence toward homicide. This includes perceived loss of control over the victim through separation, divorce or the victim leaving; extreme jealousy; abuse that occurs in a public place; and access to a weapon, especially a gun. To learn more, read “Will an Abuser Kill You?”

Source: The Indian Express