Explanation
Research shows that women who experience non-fatal strangulation with an intimate partner are seven times more likely to be killed by that partner. On April 4, 2023, Ohio adopted legislation making strangulation of an intimate partner or household member a felony crime (Ohio Senate Bill 288). Charging these high-risk cases as felonies allows the system to hold dangerous offenders accountable while also creating opportunities for victims to understand the seriousness of their situations and link with the resources needed to interrupt cycles of violence--violence interrupters that will save lives.
The City of Columbus received a United States Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), 2023 Improving Criminal Justice Response (ICJR) program grant. This ordinance accepts and appropriates $800,000 in ICJR funds. This funding enhances and expands justice services and programs implemented through the City of Columbus and Franklin County Blueprint for Safety: Interagency Response to Domestic Violence initiative by creating a Domestic Violence Strangulation Task Force.
The Strangulation Task Force is a working committee of the Blueprint for Safety team and will focus on effective implementation of Ohio Senate Bill 288. Task force members include city and county prosecutors, detectives, patrol officers, judge(s), advocates and forensic nurses. The group will guide the development of response directives that promote flawless implementation of the law and rock-solid evidence collection, so cases can move forward with or without victim engagement. The group will also bring in experts to train justice processionals on the immediate and lasting impact of strangulation on the brain and body and how to use trauma informed techniques to help victims feel safe, trusted and able to share details of, often horrific, crimes in a supportive/non-triggering manner.
Through the three year award period, the group will produce and implement model response...
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