The 2012 Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Project Annual Report discusses gaps in the community’s response to domestic violence and put forth recommendations for change in services, resources, policies, practices, information, collaboration, and training.

Georgia’s unfortunate distinction is to be ranked 10th nationally for the rate at which men kill women in single-victim homicides. Georgia has ranked among the top 20 states in this category for all 13 years the study has been conducted and among the top 10 for seven of those years.

This year’s report focuses on the complexity of domestic violence and the importance of taking a holistic approach to victim services. Some domestic violence cases do escalate to homicide with no prior involvement with the criminal justice system or social service agencies; however, our report reveals that victims and perpetrators of domestic violence more often interact with a variety of systems and agencies in the years leading up to the homicide. Unfortunately, the systems in place to respond to victims and perpetrators usually provide a single focus response and do not address the complex nature of this problem. Issues that frequently co-occur with or compound domestic violence go unresolved, leading to missed opportunities to address the life experiences of domestic violence victims and the barriers they face.

We encourage communities and service providers to develop partnerships and work to provide victims of domestic violence with comprehensive support that addresses all of the challenges they face in achieving safety.

Click here to read the report.