46 Marylanders Died From Domestic Violence Last Year
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — 46 people died in Maryland between July 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018, as a result of intimate partner violence.
The Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence released their Domestic Violence Fatality Statistics on Monday, including victims of intimate partner violence, bystanders and abusive partners.
26 people, or 57 percent, of those who died were the intimate partner victims. These victims included 17 women, two teenage girls and seven men.
Two of these homicides occurred in a same-sex relationship, the data shows.
Of the 46 people who died, 67 percent of the domestic violence fatalities were caused by a gun. As a result, at least 35 children are left behind without their parent(s).
Five bystanders died as a result of domestic violence situations, including a man who was killed by his mother's estranged husband, and four individuals who were killed while aiding a fleeing victim, one of whom was an off-duty officer.
Of the 15 abusive partners who lost their lives: 10 men, two women, and one teenage boy completed murder-suicide or attempted murder-suicide, and two men died during police response to the incident.
Maryland is ranked 10th in the country in female homicide by men in single victim/single offender incidents, with a rate of 1.58 homicides per 100,000 women.
MNADV will hold its Annual Domestic Violence Homicide Memorial Service on Monday from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Annapolis to remember and honor the victims.
"Domestic violence doesn't just affect the victims in the relationship," said Trisha Gentle, Executive Director of the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence. "Domestic violence harms the children who witness this abuse, and can often put others in harm's way; this year's homicides included a hospital stabbing, a school shooting, and multiple murders of bystanders, neighbors, and even an off-duty police officer. That's why this year our Memorial Service theme is #ItHappensHere. We want to raise awareness that domestic violence isn't something that we can ignore or deny; it's something that is happening every day in our communities across the state. Only after we acknowledge that it exists will we be able to prevent it from happening."
First Lady Yumi Hogan and Senator Chris Van Hollen will attend and deliver remarks at the Memorial Service, as well as Lillian Agbeyegbe, a survivor of domestic violence.
"As a mother and a grandmother, my heart breaks for the victims of these senseless tragedies," said First Lady Yumi Hogan. "We must work together to protect and empower the most vulnerable among us - by giving the families of victims the justice they deserve, and survivors of domestic violence the chance to rebuild their lives. Working together, we can shine a light on this devastating problem and break the cycle of abuse and violence."
For more information about the Memorial Service or the MNADV Domestic Violence Legislative Agenda, contact Inga James, MNADV Board President and Executive Director of Heartly House, at 301-662-8800 or at ijames@heartlyhouse.org.
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