Elected Leaders Stress Need For Domestic Shelter

According to the new Violence Policy Center (VPC) study When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2015 Homicide Data, South Carolina ranked fifth in the nation in the rate of women murdered by men, with a rate of 1.83 per 100,000. This annual study is released in advance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which is recognized in October.

This was the sixth year in a row that South Carolina ranked in the top five states for women murdered by men and the rate has increased since last year’s report of 1.73 per 100,000.   “South Carolina’s continued presence at, or near, the top of the list of the most dangerous states for women demonstrates how much work as a state we still have to do,” says Sara Barber, executive director of the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

“We have changed laws but there are still struggles with consistently implementing them to increase victim safety. A long term change in our horrifying record will also need an increased emphasis on prevention education around healthy relationships. This should begin in schools and extend across all community settings, to stop this violence before it begins,”  Barber added.

Women who are victimized by criminal domestic violence and seek to escape those conditions currently are taken to Georgetown County.  Statistics show that the bar is high for a woman choosing to leave a violent relationship.  “Relocating a mother and her children to another county adds a level of uncertainty to an already difficult situation,”  said local leader Fred Nesta.