Nevada ranks among the top states in domestic violence murders

Nevada has some unfortunate distinctions when it comes to domestic violence. Almost half of the females in our state say that they’ve experienced it. Nevada is third out of all states in the number of women killed by men. As of this month, there had been 12 fatalities related to domestic violence in the Las Vegas area alone this year.

A recent report by a Las Vegas television news team called Nevada a “State of Disgrace.” The report focused on the difficulty that women have getting protection orders and, when they do obtain them, getting them enforced. Some of these women have ended up dead.

The decision to grant a Temporary Protection Order is made by a family court judge. Last year, 30 percent of the 8,000 applications were denied. As one family court judge, “better safe than sorry” isn’t the law.

One woman who had a protection order against her husband called 911 when he showed up at their home. However, the dispatcher refused to send police, saying that she wasn’t in danger since he was outside. Only when the woman opened the door to him and the dispatcher heard her scream were police called to the scene, where the man had a knife. Despite multiple domestic violence arrests, however, she says that her husband has never been prosecuted.

There are other factors that contribute to the rate of domestic violence in our state. A lack of funding for law enforcement and judicial training as well as for shelters have been cited. The U.S. Justice Department recently awarded $22 million for programs that help victims of crime. It remains to be seen how much of that money goes to shelters and programs for domestic violence victims, which are understaffed and underfunded.

Guns are another big factor. There have been calls for a state law that would prohibit anyone convicted of domestic violence to own a gun. That is the case under federal law. However, state laws vary.

It’s easy to get discouraged by the inaction of some whose job it is to protect domestic violence victims. However, an experienced Nevada attorney can help you seek a protective order and take other steps to protect your safety and that of your family.

Source: KTNV Contact 13, “Nevada ranks third in nation in rate of women murdered by men,” Oct. 06, 2016