NEW ORLEANS – During COVID-19 lockdowns, the United Nations called domestic violence “the shadow pandemic” because rates were at record highs all over the country.
Now, three years later, the number of victims is still worrying, says the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV).
The CEO of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, Katie Ray-Jones, said, “We are still getting a lot of calls.” “About a 25% rise in the number of contacts.”
The death of a young mother in New Orleans, which is thought to have been caused by her ex-boyfriend, has led city leaders and residents to ask for more help for victims.
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Asia Davis, who was 28 years old, was run over and shot to death in May. Henry Talley Jr., her 44-year-old boyfriend, is now charged with second-degree murder.
In 1996, he was convicted of murdering a 12-year-old boy and given a life sentence. However, he was freed two years ago after the Supreme Court ruled that life punishments for minors were illegal.
Asia’s mother, Kenya Davis, said, “She was a very lively girl who loved to party.” “She made a difference in so many people’s lives.”
Kenya says her daughter tried to end things between her and Talley Jr.
“He didn’t want to let her go,” said Kenya. “We didn’t know there was more going on.”
Statistics from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) show that nearly 20 people are physically abused by a close partner in the U.S. every minute. This is probably what happened to Asia.
Ray-Jones said, “On any given day, anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 people can get in touch with us.”
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine said that the number of cases of domestic abuse rose by 25% to 33% around the world from 2020 to 2021, which was the first year of the outbreak.
“Many companies still have at-home or hybrid work, and so many employees are still working at home with their abusive partner,” Ray-Jones said, adding that calls to the number have not slowed.
The CEO also thinks that more women are coming forward because they know there are tools that can help them.
Ray-Jones said, “People have become much more aware of domestic violence.” “Google even put out a new search feature to make it easier to find what you need.”
Fake picture of the DV hotline website, which tells users about the high number of calls. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is still getting a lot of calls, even though the number of calls has been going up since 2020.
The North Carolina Senate lets victims of domestic violence testify from a distance and avoid having to show up in person.
Another worry is the lack of police officers across the country and slower reaction times in some towns. Asia’s mother said that, before being killed, Asia called the New Orleans Police Department twice to report domestic abuse.
Kenya said, “The first time she called, it was around 6 p.m. that day, and they didn’t show up until 5 a.m. the next day. ” When they arrived, they said it was “gone on arrival.” “It had been 12 hours.”
Officers will mark a call as “gone on arrival” if the suspect or caller is no longer there when they get there.
Crime scene tape and police car lights
During a May meeting, New Orleans City Council President J.P. Morrell said, “It’s hard for victims to take us seriously when we don’t put their safety first by thinking that a 12-hour response time to a report of domestic violence is fine.”
In a statement, the New Orleans Police Department said that calls about domestic abuse are a high priority and that the first available officer was sent both times Asia called, but there was no answer at the door.
Kenya said she doesn’t have time to think about things she can’t change now that she’s taking care of Asia’s 6-year-old daughter.
Kenya said, “She knows her mother is dead.” “My grandchild needs me to be strong.”
