A Virginia group is working to ensure abusers can't use the courts to keep harming their victims.

Commonly called "abusive litigation," these come in the form of lawsuits aimed at drawing a victim back into contact with their abuser.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence finds in 2020, almost 34% of women and around 29% of men in Virginia experience domestic violence.

Susheela Varky, director of family advocacy with the Virginia Poverty Law Center, said going into a courtroom to seek out a protective order isn't always easy for victims of domestic violence.

"For the victim to bolster themselves to go to a public place to air their private experience with a judge, in a courtroom," said Varky, "even just thinking about that can be very intimidating."

She added that when a survivor of violence goes to court for a protective order, this could be the first time they're defying their abuser - leading to additional violence.

To better address this, Varky said she wants to see increased resources provided to law enforcement officials for them to be thorough in addressing inter-partner violence.

Along with states taking steps to reduce abusive litigation, she noted that there are still misconceptions about domestic violence needing to be clarified. One misunderstanding is questioning why a person doesn't just leave an abusive partner.

She said as simple as it sounds, it's never that easy.

"What if you share children with that person?" asked Varky. "What if you don't have a job? What if you've been isolated for so many years that you don't have any place to go to?"

Varky noted that if a person does leave, without necessary resources to care for children the couple might have, it could be used in a potential custody battle.

Rather than questioning the abused, she said more questions need to be asked about why a person abuses someone else.

Overall, she said she wants to see abusers held accountable for their actions. Varky said looking beyond incarceration and taking a restorative-justice approach could work.

"I'd like to see how we can use other resources that survivors are interested in," said Varky. "In addition to actually holding abusers accountability and enforcing the laws that already exist."

Currently, Idaho, Tennessee and Washington have laws aimed to prevent abusive litigation.

In 2017, a bill introduced in Congress to reduce lawsuit abuse was passed by the House of Representatives, although it failed to advance out of the Senate's Judiciary Committee.

Groups are warning an Idaho city's decision to declare itself a non-sanctuary city could have far-reaching implications.

The repercussions are still being felt from the decision by the city of Eagle, near Boise, in July.

Sanctuary cities limit their cooperation with the federal government on immigration laws. The Eagle resolution said the city will not provide services for people who are undocumented. It could be especially harmful for vulnerable community members, such as those who have experienced domestic violence or sexual abuse.

Sarah Sheehan, a clinician with the Women's and Children's Alliance in Boise, said the resolution could prevent people from getting support.

"It can create a lot of fear of seeking help from community services in non-sanctuary cities," Sheehan explained.

The Eagle city council passed the resolution on a consent agenda without public comment. It said the goal of the resolution is "maintaining the safety, well-being, and resources of its residents." Critics are urging the council to rescind it.

Some states have banned the ability for cities to declare themselves sanctuary cities, such as Florida, but a declaration of non-sanctuary status is rare. In February, Mesa County, Colorado declared itself a non-sanctuary county.

Nisha Newton, social change communications associate for the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, said harms from the resolution could spread beyond Eagle.

"I'm just worried that this decision is going to embolden other discriminatory practices or empower other discriminatory policies throughout the state that we won't necessarily be able to catch up with as service providers and advocates," Newton noted.

Newton added people need to stand up for each other and the resolution is the wrong tactic if the goal really is to keep people safe.

"It requires all of us to build safer communities," Newton emphasized. "Our safety and our wellness doesn't come off the backs of other people being oppressed and other people being denied services."

Across the state, Ohio's domestic violence prevention programs are improving their services for human trafficking survivors.

A $1.8 million grant from the Ohio Department of Public Safety will help 32 shelters provide human trafficking training and expand case managers.

Shelley Marsh, deputy director of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, said it will better serve the needs of individuals who may not realize what has happened to them.

"A lot of human trafficking survivors either may not know or understand that they've been trafficked," Marsh explained. "And/or don't maybe have the language to explain to someone when they are seeking services that they are a victim or survivor of human trafficking."

Marsh pointed out the grooming tactics used by traffickers normalize abuse and exploitation to the point many survivors report believing their experiences are just "how the world operates." A study by the Polaris Project of 457 trafficking survivors found 37% were trafficked by a close family member or guardian.

Marsh added the funding will also help shelters meet the needs of individuals coping with high levels of trauma.

"We also know that mental health and substance use is also not only a component of domestic and intimate partner violence and sexual violence," Marsh noted. "But certainly a significant component of human trafficking as well."

Marsh added advocates are working to increase awareness about how all interpersonal and gender-based violence is connected.

"These victimizations, while all have distinct, unique qualities, they also have a lot of intersectional issues that really need sort of holistic approaches and holistic service delivery," Marsh emphasized.

According to the Ohio Attorney General's Office, signs of possible human trafficking include a person not having their own identification documents or money, being in the presence of an overtly controlling male or female friend, and showing signs of mental, emotional or physical abuse.

To report suspected trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 833-373-7888.

Domestic-violence prevention organizations in Minnesota continue to express relief over a U.S. Supreme Court ruling dealing with abusers having access to firearms.

In an 8-to-1 decision released Friday, the court upheld a federal law barring people subject to a domestic-violence restraining order from owning guns. Violence Free Minnesota reported from 1989 to 2018, guns were used in nearly half of cases around the state in which adult women were killed by an intimate partner.

Connie Moore is executive director of Alexandra House, a service organization for survivors in the Twin Cities. She noted weapons are also used to intimidate a partner who is planning to escape a dangerous situation.

"Many victim/survivors have reported about a gun being pointed at them and threatening, 'I'll kill you if you leave me,'" Moore observed.

Moore noted there are still challenges in ensuring a gun's removal, even when a restraining order has been issued. Minnesota does have a law covering the removal process but support groups said there is uneven enforcement around the country. This decision comes two years after the Supreme Court greatly expanded gun rights.

Moore pointed out the federal law not only protects survivors and their children, but also first responders in 911 calls stemming from domestic violence.

"We know that domestic calls for law enforcement are one of the most dangerous calls that they go on," Moore emphasized.

She pointed to the three first responders killed earlier this year in a call in the suburb of Burnsville. The tragedy led to a change in state law concerning straw purchases of guns.

Meanwhile, survivor groups also press for reforms when it comes to obtaining a protection order, noting there are a range of barriers just getting that step taken care of.


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