Yeardley Love's Mother Wants Stronger Domestic Violence Laws
WASHINGTON (WJZ) -- Murdered University of Virginia student Yeardley Love's mother speaks out for the first time since Love's boyfriend was convicted in her death. Sharon Love broke her silence Wednesday in a push for laws to protect women from domestic violence.
Vic Carter has more.
A heartbroken Baltimore mother took the national stage in Washington, opening up about the domestic abuse that took her child's life.
"My daughter was murdered almost two years ago at the University of Virginia by an out-of-control lacrosse player with a violent past," said Sharon Love.
That lacrosse player, Bethesda native George Huguely, was found guilty of second-degree murder for beating Yeardley Love to death in her dorm room in 2010.
Two years later, Sharon Love is urging Congress to re-authorize the Violence Against Women Act. She spoke in Washington Wednesday along with Attorney General Eric Holder and Vice President Joe Biden, who authored the original Senate bill in 1994.
"No boy, no man, had any right under circumstances for any reason other than self-defense to raise his hand to a girl or woman. None," Biden said. "No means no means no."
Since her death, Yeardley Love's family has started a project with domestic violence experts at Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School to address the problem at its core.
"We are very optimistic that, with a concerted effort, we can make a difference, not only in people's behaviors but also in their attitudes," Love said.
Vice President Biden says there has been progress in the 18 years since the law passed, with domestic violence down 60 percent, but Yeardley's death is a reminder that there's more work to be done.
