Funding cuts threaten support agencies for domestic violence victims amid rising homicides.
MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — Organizations helping victims impacted by domestic violence say the amount of funding agencies can access has decreased substantially.
They say record numbers of domestic violence homicides across the state prove how essential these services are.
WCNC Charlotte spoke with a domestic violence survivor who said she fears limited DV resources will lead to more cases of homicide, because victims are often afraid to speak out.
“He almost killed me,” the survivor, who does not want to reveal her identity due to fear of retaliation, said.
The Mecklenburg County domestic violence survivor spoke about the time she told her ex-boyfriend to leave after demonstrating violent behavior.
“I asked him for the keys back, and I think that triggered him in a way, and he threw the keys at me, and it got really violent after that, I couldn’t fight him back because he broke my finger prior to that and I had surgery before that,” she said.
She said he dragged her by her hair and hit her in the eye. In a police report, she accused him of strangulation. She said she escaped, but he caught up with her. Eventually, the police came.
“I finally got my phone back from him after I begged and pleaded with him to get my phone back, and I asked my friend to call to get police back over here, and they finally came and saved me,” she said.
“We need to make sure those people who are being harassed or assaulted by their partners are able to go somewhere in their local county, to be able to seek help,” Nisha Williams, the Legal Director of the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said.
She said as the months get warmer, her office notices more DV cases. She worries as DV organizations face potential cuts in federal funding.
“We believe that the DV service providers are as essential as court,” Williams said. “Oftentimes, when we hear domestic violence, we hear about it after a homicide.”
The DV survivor who has been fighting for justice for the past year says she understands why victims are afraid to leave.
“They’re too scared because they know nothing is going to help them out, there’s going to be more people that are dead, more people that are missing, and then they’ve got to think about more people have kids,” she said.
If you or a loved one is facing domestic violence, help is readily available. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. Resources for help are available in both North Carolina and South Carolina.
