Yeardley Love's Mother Pushes For Renewal Of Law Against Domestic Violence
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- The mother of slain Cockeysville native Yeardley Love wants lawmakers to do more to protect young women from domestic violence.
Jessica Kartalija explains Sharon Love wants to make sure what happened to her daughter doesn't happen to someone else.
Speaking publicly for the first time since her daughter's death, Sharon Love is pushing for tougher laws against violent offenders. Love is throwing her support behind the renewal of the Violence Against Women Act.
"Our lives will never be the same. My daughter was murdered almost two years ago at the University of Virginia by an out of control lacrosse player with a violent past," Love said at a meeting about domestic violence at the White House.
Vice President Joe Biden helped pass the original law in 1994.
"Look at what she went through," Biden said. "My God."
Cheri Parlaman is with House Of Ruth Maryland, one of the nation's leading domestic violence centers.
"We are very grateful that she is speaking out about the issue of partner violence because it's a very big problem," she said. "We know that one in four women will be in an abusive relationship at some point in their lives, so it's important to talk about this issue."
The Violence Against Women Act has already allocated more than $9 billion toward prosecuting violent offenders and providing support for victims. Reauthorizing the law would expand financing for domestic violence programs.
"We are a beneficiary of the Violence Against Women Act grant program and we are very hopeful that the program continues. It's not just the work that we do, but the work other organizations like us do to provide support for victims," Parlaman said.
Yeardley Love's former boyfriend George Huguely was convicted of second-degree murder. He faces up to 26 years in prison and will be sentenced in August.
Click here for a link to House Of Ruth Maryland.
