Honoring Texas Victims: 132 Women Killed in Texas in 2014 – 25 of the Victims are from North Texas; Tarrant & Dallas Counties have the Second Highest Murder Rate in the State with 10 Domestic Violence Homicides in Each County, One Murder Each in Collin, Johnson & Kaufman Counties; Two Murders in Denton County
Ft. Worth, Texas – October 15, 2015 – The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) today released a new report that shows an increase in the number of women killed in domestic violence murders in Texas by their husband, ex-husband, intimate partner, boyfriend or ex-boyfriend. 132 women were killed in domestic violence murders in 2014. 119 women were killed in 2013. 114 women were killed in 2012. 102 women were killed in 2011. Tarrant County had a slight decrease in the number of domestic violence homicides in this report with 10 murders. In 2013, there were 11 domestic violence murders in Tarrant County. Dallas County had a more significant decrease in murders- down to 10 from 20 murders in the last report. Harris County had the highest number of deaths in the state with 23 domestic violence murders, followed by Tarrant and Dallas with 10 domestic violence homicides in each city, followed by El Paso and San Antonio with 5 murders in each city.
Kathyrn R. Jacob, President & CEO of SafeHaven, Ken Shetter, Executive Director of the Safe City Commission and Ft. Worth Police, joined Texas Council on Family Violence CEO Gloria Terry at a news conference in Ft. Worth to unveil the annual report titled: “Honoring Texas Victims: Family Violence Fatalities.”
“Ten innocent lives were lost and ten families forever changed in senseless domestic violence murders in Tarrant County. 25 lives were lost in North Texas. When a tragic loss like this happens, it reminds all of us, how dangerous domestic violence can be to a family and a community and how much more work there is to be accomplished to ensure victims find help and safety before it’s too late,” said Gloria A. Terry, CEO of the Texas Council on Family Violence. “Honoring Texas Victims: Family Violence Fatalities recognizes all Texas family violence victims lost in this tragic crime. We hope the report will evoke deeper and more meaningful discussions about barriers and realities that affect the ability of women to escape danger within their relationships. Domestic violence murders are knowable, identifiable and predictable.“
“This important report should motivate all of us who work to protect victims of domestic violence in Texas to dig deeper and continue to improve our system, strive to better protect victims. That’s what One Safe Place is all about. We are encouraged that since we opened our building, half of our referrals are coming from other places than law enforcement. This means that family and friends, the people closest to the victims are reaching out for help and we believe we are reaching more victims earlier and saving lives,” said Ken Shetter, Executive Director of Safe City Commission and One Safe Place.
“One of the important lessons from this report is that when women seek services at our shelter or One Safe Place, most of the time, those women do not become a fatality or become one of the women on murdered list. That is why SafeHaven works year round with individuals and families who have been subjected to violence in their own homes. Our efforts to provide immediate shelter, services and longer-term advocacy are supported by our colleagues in the criminal justice system and in law enforcement. Their support, and the support of the entire community, is critical to prevent and reduce domestic violence,” said Kathyrn Jacob, President and CEO of SafeHaven of Tarrant County.
The report released by the Texas Council on Family Violence and compiled from data from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas law enforcement agencies and media reports list names of the victims and gives brief accounts of their deaths.
County by County Narratives of all the Women Killed in Texas
http://www.tcfv.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Honoring-Texas-Victims-2014-Narratives.pdf
Some key statistics include:
Ӣ 132 women were killed in 59 counties
Ӣ The youngest victim was 16 and the oldest victim was 90
Ӣ Harris County has the highest number of deaths at 23
Ӣ Dallas and Tarrant had the second highest with 10 murders in each county
Ӣ El Paso and Bexar had the third highest with 5 murders in each county
Ӣ 77% of the women were killed at home
Ӣ 67%- The leading cause of death is firearms
Ӣ 14% were stabbed
Ӣ 7% were strangled
Ӣ Leaving Does Not Equal Safety- 43 women had ended the relationship 15 married women were separated from their husbands, 8 women were in the process of leaving
Anyone who is a victim of domestic violence and needs help can call the SafeHaven Hotline: 877-701-SAFE (7233) or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.
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Texas Council on Family Violence is the only 501(c) 3 nonprofit coalition in Texas dedicated solely to creating safer communities and freedom from family violence. With a state-wide reach and direct local impact, TCFV, with the collective strength of more than 1000 members, shapes public policy, equips service providers, and initiates strategic prevention efforts. Visit us online at http://www.tcfv.org/