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Leon speaks with Cleveland Municipal Court Administrative & Presiding Judge Michelle Earley and Victoria Grant, Justice System Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager of the Journey Center for Safety & Healing on “We the People”.

“The latest research says abusers’ access to a firearm increases the risk of homicide by 11 times,” Kaplan said. “And they found that states with the highest rates of firearm ownership had a 65% higher rate of intimate partner violence firearm homicide than states with lower rates of gun ownership.”

Domestic violence and guns can be a deadly combination. More than half of all intimate partner homicides are committed with a gun, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Nearly half of all women murdered in the United States are killed by a current or former intimate partner, and 50% of these homicides are by firearms.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - October marks Domestic Violence awareness month, and one organization in Cleveland is aiming to help a group of women who need it the most.

Journey Center for Safety and Healing, is offering a Latina Domestic Violence Program to help latina women in the community.

They hope that by creating this program, they can give assistance to some of the women who need it the most.

CLEVELAND — Domestic violence experts say rates remain high three years after a pandemic spike, including in Northeast Ohio.

Melissa Graves, CEO of Journey Center for Safety and Healing, which provides counseling, shelter, and several other supports and services for domestic violence victims, said, "It has stayed there since COVID. It hasn't gone back down."

Data shared by the Ohio Domestic Violence Network shows there were 27 murder-suicides among the Ohio homicide cases they identified as being connected to domestic violence between July 1, 2021 and June 20, 2022.

ODVN identified a total of 73 domestic violence homicides in Ohio during the same time period, where the perpetrator killed their former or current intimate partner or spouse.

CLEVELAND — Authorities have released new information about what happened inside a Brooklyn Centre home last Friday where a man is accused of killing his father, sister and nephew.

“Domestic violence is a very under-reported crime because of the shame and the fear factor,” Grant said.

Grant says survivors may not recognize the signs early on and abusers have a way of manipulating their own behaviors.

OHIO — Ohio was the only state that didn't have what’s called a “strangulation law,” according to State Senator Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood).

But Gov. Mike DeWine's signature on Senate Bill 288 changed that. 

“I really believe once this legislation goes into law, we’re going to save lives," Antonio said.

Right now is a stressful time for many as some are dealing with financial worries and others are isolated at home with their abusers, who may even be heavily monitoring them in person and on social media.

“The holidays tend to be a disruptive time where an abuser may try to exert more power and control through abuse — financial, verbal, physical, emotional, sexual, every kind of, any kind of abuse,” said Melissa Graves, Chief Executive Officer at the Journey Center for Safety and Healing. “Over the holidays, we do tend to see an increase in alcohol consumption for some people. So, all of those things contribute to a stressful environment.”

Senate Bill 90 makes strangulation a felony, as opposed to a misdemeanor, what it is now.

MEDINA, Ohio — As Ohio lawmakers enter the lame duck session, ready to push through bills that haven’t yet passed before the general assembly ends at the end of the year, domestic violence advocates and survivors are hopeful that Senate Bill 90 will be one of them.

Senate Bill 90 makes strangulation a felony, as opposed to a misdemeanor, what it is now.

This week, northeast Ohio was rocked by media stories about two prominent, local citizens accused of and arrested for violence against women. While these incidents will ultimately play out in our legal system, we realize that seeing stories about domestic violence and/or child abuse in the news and on social media can be triggering.

No matter what actions we take, big or small- it takes all of us doing our part to support someone impacted by abuse. Those who have experienced or been impacted by domestic violence and child abuse are often isolated by their abusers- making it difficult to ask for help.

“This will have dangerous ramifications for those experiencing domestic violence,” says Melissa Graves, CEO, about the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade. “This allows states to eliminate a basic freedom and fundamental right.”

Reproductive coercion and birth control sabotage are common in relationships where there is domestic violence. This is one way abusers hold their victims in abusive relationships and it affects an estimated 1 in 10 women.

May is Supervised Visitation Awareness Month and today, May 14, is Supervised Visitation Awareness Day- a day and month dedicated to raise awareness about the need and impact of supervised visitation.

Journey Center wants to recognize the important work our Safe & Sound Supervised Visitation Center does to support children and families.

Journey Center for Safety and Healing supports survivors’ autonomy to make choices for themselves and their families.

April 24-30 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, a week dedicated to raise awareness about crime victims’ issues and rights and introduce the community to the important resources and services available.

Journey Center recognizes the work our advocates do to support survivors who are experiencing abusive relationships while navigating the justice system. Journey Center’s Justice System Advocacy Program is the only program providing services for victims of abuse in the inner ring suburban courts – 9 Cuyahoga County based courts, consisting of 42 municipalities - serving victims of domestic violence, stalking, and other crimes of intimate partner violence.