Shine the Light on Domestic Violence
The behavior is personal and sometimes deadly. Intimate partner violence afflicts every community in the United States, usually behind the closed doors and happy faces presented to the public. New York is no different.
By proclaiming October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in New York, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo shines a light on the often quiet but deeply damaging effects of violence perpetrated by and against loved ones.
Sponsored by the New York Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, the Shine the Light campaign is intended to raise awareness of domestic violence in our homes and communities by encouraging people to wear or display the color purple.
Our office represents clients who may need orders of protection against partners who have threatened or already committed violence against them, their children or their pets. If you are a victim of domestic violence, divorce is a particularly destabilizing time when a perpetrator might escalate violence against you.
Consider these facts about domestic abuse:
- According to New York State, 218,570 orders of protection were recorded in the Domestic Violence Registry in 2012. An order of protection requires the person to behave in a way that minimizes threat to you, including moving out of your residence, not possessing a gun or staying a certain distance from you.
- More than half the female homicide victims in New York in 2012 were killed by intimate partners. In total, 74 women died at the hands of their partner last year.
- There were 31,911 intimate partner assaults in 2012, with females as victims in approximately 83 percent of those cases.
If you are being abused or know someone who is, find the resources you and your family need. Gather important documents and make needed escape plans before you speak with your partner about divorce. If you are thinking about an order of protection, speak with our attorneys about obtaining responsive legal help. Se habla español.