New Law Conceals Addresses Of Abuse Survivors

(CBS DETROIT) – Survivors of abuse can feel a bit more at ease in their healing journey.

A new Michigan law is providing added measures to keep victims and their families safe from abusers.

"After domestic violence or sexual assault survivors either left their abuser or if they were trying to seek some sort of safety or protection from their abuser there were different places in our system where the abuser could still find out where they were," said Elizabeth Abdnour of the Firecracker Foundation.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation to protect the addresses of victims with identification numbers that's routed to private P.O. boxes.

Attorney Elizabeth Abdnour is a survivor advocate and board member of the firecracker foundation – an organization that serves survivors of sexual trauma.

She says the new added protections will help keep victims and their families away from abusers who may be looking to locate their whereabouts.

"What research has shown us is that the most dangerous and fatal times at least for domestic violence survivors is when they're trying to actually leave their abuser; and so being able to have this additional protection to hopefully keep them from being found," said Abdnour.

Schools will be prohibited from releasing survivor addresses.

It will also be blocked from qualified voter files as well as FOIA requests.

"So, this is gonna really give them the ability to separate from and not continue to be stalked and harassed by an abuser," said Abdnour.

Survivors can apply through the Michigan Attorney General's office.