COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Columbus is grappling with a concerning increase in domestic violence-related homicides, with 10 such incidents reported since the start of the year, according to Columbus police. This troubling trend comes despite an overall decrease in the city’s homicide numbers.
The 33rd edition of the Two Days in May Conference on Victim Assistance, organized by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office in downtown Columbus, intends to strengthen Ohio’s network of victim advocates and provide a platform for advocacy groups and lawmakers to collaborate on providing more resources for victims of domestic violence.
Victoria Hoefler, an artist and domestic violence survivor, shared her personal journey with ABC 6.
“I have found that after my experience with domestic violence, I was made to feel like I was nothing,” she said about one of her art pieces. “The phoenix represents me rising and realizing I am something.”
The art and writings curated by The Domestic Violence Shelter Inc. in Richland County were created by teenagers who have sought the agency’s services or by students in local schools who have been affected in some way by violence. Together, these pieces form a special display of creativity and resilience. The exhibit relates to the subject of teen dating violence and reflects strength, recovery, and the enduring hope that emerges even in the face of adversity.
Hoefler said these pieces were to inspire messages of hope, resilience, and transformation, adding that abusers aim to make victims feel they don’t have people in their corner for support.
“It’s hard to come back from that. It’s hard to claw your way out of that unless you have people advocating for you,” Hoefler said. “The more information that we have out there, the less chances that people will be hurt.”
In April, during his State of the City address, Mayor Andrew Ginther highlighted the issue, noting that while the city’s overall homicide numbers are declining, domestic violence remains a significant concern.
“Unfortunately, neighbors, domestic violence is one area where we’re seeing numbers move in the wrong direction,” he said. “Police have a job to do, no doubt, but by the time they respond to a call for domestic violence, it means we have failed in ours, which is doing everything within our power to prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place.”
Mayor Ginther emphasized the need for a collective effort with the city’s Office of Violence Prevention to address the issue, stating, “It will take all of us working together to address domestic violence in a meaningful way.”
Advocacy groups report increased victimization across all demographics, with resources more strained than ever.
“The resources are more strapped than ever,” Deputy Director of Support and Outreach in the Crime Victim Services section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Holly Zachariah Andrews, said. “The advocates are overworked just as ever.”
The conference serves as a crucial opportunity for advocates to learn how to support survivors and prevent future tragedies. Teresa M. Stafford-Wright, Chief Executive Officer at Hope & Healing Survivor Resource Center, emphasized the importance of the conference.
“We can take this information back to our programs and really help communities heal from the victimization they may have experienced,” she said. “Law enforcement, we need you. Prosecutors, we need you, and victim service advocates, we need you to respond in an appropriate manner.”
New legislation has also been pushed to address the issue, including making strangulation a felony offense in Ohio.
If you or someone you know is in a domestic violence situation and is in need of help, there are a number of resources you can contact:
