More than 110 people in Ohio — including 13 in Stark County — were killed as a result of domestic violence in the past year, according to a new statewide report.
The Ohio Domestic Violence Network released its annual mortality report Wednesday, showing that there were 114 domestic violence deaths across the state between July 2023 and July 2024 — an increase of two from the previous reporting period. Fifteen of the dead were children and teenagers.
The nonprofit, which is releasing the report during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, compiled the fatality count from media reports and information from 76 affiliated programs.
In nearly a quarter of cases, the victim ended the relationship, the nonprofit said. It also noted that 72% of victims had been involved in the criminal or civil system, including divorce or custody proceedings, and that 56% of killers had had previous contact with the criminal justice system.
“We continue to see victims, especially parents, seeking help to protect themselves and their children and not receiving what is needed to save their lives,” Lisa DeGeeter, legal counsel for the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, said in a prepared statement. “These victims left, they filed reports, they filed charges and they asked for protective orders, but it wasn’t enough to stop the violence.”
The nonprofit highlighted the case of Leo Robinson, 4, of Dublin, who was killed by his father in Virginia. His mother, Aubree Robinson, said she begged police, prosecutors, lawyers and judges to protect her son.
“My son was very intelligent, strong, empathetic, happy, loving and was an amazing little boy,” Robinson said in a prepared statement. “His death was preventable.”
The nonprofit also noted that 23-year-old Euclid police officer Jacob Derbin was shot and killed in response to a domestic violence call. Six other law enforcement officers and one police dog were also shot in response to incidents of domestic violence and survived, the report said.
Seventy percent of the deaths involved weapons, the nonprofit said. Of those who died, 65 were women and 49 were men, 39% of whom were people of color.
‘We must raise our voices for all those who suffer in silence’
Julie Donant, CEO of the Domestic Violence Project Inc. in Canton, said there have been 13 deaths in Stark County due to domestic violence and a total of 2,927 cases, three of which were children. The year before there were two deaths.
“The fight is not over and we must raise our voices for all those who are suffering in silence,” she said.
Donant said there are many barriers when it comes to providing services to victims of domestic violence, with housing, court costs and a lack of awareness among the biggest.
“We as an agency are trying to reach out to the community and share our resources,” she said. “Unfortunately, there are still people who don’t know about our resources.”
Donant said she hopes people will take advantage of the services, but she hopes those who are struggling will seek help and support in any way they can.
“It is very important to contact a local shelter,” she said. “Just seeing what your options are and doing some safety planning is always step one.”
The Domestic Violence Project Inc. can be reached at 330-453-7233.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Domestic violence deaths in Ohio are increasing slightly, according to a new report
