New Jersey man advocates for domestic violence victims

Those who have suffered through domestic violence understand how terrifying the situation can be and how difficult it may be to get out. The brother of a domestic violence victim is now trying to raise awareness and advocate for other victims. His goal is to create a registry of domestic violence offenders in New Jersey.

This advocate’s sister was apparently murdered by an ex-boyfriend. He believes that if she had known about her ex’s prior conviction for attacking another girlfriend, she may have chosen not to be involved with him at all. But without a database of domestic violence offenders, there was no way she could have known that her ex had slashed a woman’s throat.

A city council recently gave its support to the database by voting in support of a state-wide bill. However, this bill also faces some opposition. There is some concern from groups that advocate for fathers’ rights that some women may make a claim of domestic violence that isn’t true. This concern was apparently addressed through the assurance that the registry would only be for those who have actually been convicted, and not for anyone who has merely been accused of committing an act of domestic abuse.

It is unclear how being registered on such a domestic violence offender database could potentially affect divorce or other issues, such as child custody. However, as such data is still not available, some individuals may still face unknown risk when they become involved with or married to someone who may ultimately commit acts of domestic violence. Victims in New Jersey have the option of receiving an order of protection, which can keep an alleged offender out of their home and at a safe distance away.

Source: nj.com, “Burlington County filmmaker seeks local support for domestic violence registry“, Jenna Pizzi, Oct. 3, 2014