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Ohio House passes "Aisha's Law," bill that grants additional protections to domestic violence survivors

COLUMBUS, Ohio — On Wednesday, members of the Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 3, also known as "Aisha's Law," which would grant additional protections to the state's domestic violence survivors.

The bill is named after Aisha Fraser, a longtime teacher from Shaker Heights who was fatally stabbed in November 2018 by her ex-husband, former Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court judge and State Sen. Lance Mason.

“There are evidence-based indicators that a case is more likely to escalate to a homicide or to a nearly fatal attack. Some of those indicators are if the abuser owns a gun, if there’s ever been strangulation in the relationship, at all, if there’s been a recent job loss, if an abuser has ever threatened suicide,” said Melissa Graves, CEO of Journey Center For Safety and Healing in Cleveland.

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news, in the newsJourney Center for Safety and HealingJourney Center, Aisha's Law, Domestic Violence Homicides
'Shameful': Ohio remaining state where strangulation isn't a felony

Strangulation is one of the most lethal forms of domestic violence, according to the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention. It can result in unconsciousness within seconds and death within minutes. The National Domestic Violence Hotline reported strangulation is also a significant predictor of future lethal violence.

“There are evidence-based indicators that a case is more likely to escalate to a homicide or to a nearly fatal attack. Some of those indicators are if the abuser owns a gun, if there’s ever been strangulation in the relationship, at all, if there’s been a recent job loss, if an abuser has ever threatened suicide,” said Melissa Graves, CEO of Journey Center For Safety and Healing in Cleveland.

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news, in the newsJourney Center for Safety and HealingJourney Center, Stangulation, SB 90, Senate Bill 90, Aisha's Law, Domestic Violence Homicides
Domestic violence escalating in Northeast Ohio: The signs and where to get help

CLEVELAND (WJW) – When domestic violence escalated during the pandemic, community leaders in Northeast Ohio were not surprised.

It’s been a year and half and they say the number of violent cases keeps growing.

“There are evidence-based indicators that a case is more likely to escalate to a homicide or to a nearly fatal attack. Some of those indicators are if the abuser owns a gun, if there’s ever been strangulation in the relationship, at all, if there’s been a recent job loss, if an abuser has ever threatened suicide,” said Melissa Graves, CEO of Journey Center For Safety and Healing in Cleveland.

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news, in the newsJourney Center for Safety and HealingJourney Center, Domestic Violence Homicides, Helpline, COVID-19
Domestic violence killings on the rise in Ohio, new survey finds

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Domestic violence killings spiked over the past year in Ohio, with more child victims than any time in the last six years, according to a new survey released Tuesday by the Ohio Domestic Violence Network.

The Columbus-based advocacy group said 131 people died from domestic violence from July 2020 to June 2021. That total represents a 20% increase over the same timeframe from 2019-20, and a 62% increase over that timeframe in 2018-19.

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news, in the newsJourney Center for Safety and HealingJourney Center, Domestic Violence Homicides, ODVN
Ohio domestic violence programs report increase in calls for service in 2020

CLEVELAND — Domestic violence advocates are worried about how the pandemic is affecting survivors. They said it's putting further stress on an already fragile situation in several different ways and are worried about the long-term effects it could have.

“This pandemic and this isolation actually just added a really difficult barrier and challenge for survivors,” said Victoria Grant, the Justice System, Racial Equity, and Inclusion Manager at the Journey Center of Safety and Healing.

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news, in the newsJourney Center for Safety and HealingJourney Center, Justice System Advocacy Program, JSAP
NEO Ohio organizations helping victims of crime and abuse are facing major cuts as grant funds are being chipped away

The ‘perfect storm’ is brewing as the Victims of Crime Act federal fund is being cut from many organizations like Journey Center for Safety and Healing. Organizations are seeing an uptick in abuse cases as the pandemic lingers on, but with less funding, they are struggling to provide needed care and resources.

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news, in the newsJourney Center for Safety and HealingVOCA Act, Victims of Crime Act, Canopy Child Advocacy Center, Melissa Graves