ST PAUL, Minn. — On the first day of what has been proclaimed Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a coalition of advocates is releasing a report on relationship abuse in Minnesota and the sometimes deadly results.
For 30 years, Violence Free Minnesota has chronicled the lives lost and forwarded potential solutions in an annual report, this year titled "Relationship Abuse in Minnesota." The reports provides an overview of the 30 lives lost to intimate partner homicide in 2020, along with policy recommendations to end abuse in relationships.
“After more than 30 years, the purpose of our report remains the same,” said Meggie Royer, Violence Free Minnesota’s Youth and Prevention Program Manager. “To illuminate a tremendous loss of life, to memorialize and center the names and lives of victims, and to push us all to take greater action to end relationship abuse in Minnesota, for ourselves and every subsequent generation.”
Here is a look at the 30 victims and the implications of their deaths:
- 21 were killed by a current or former intimate partner
- All but one identified as women
- Nine family members and bystanders are included as they were murdered in domestic violence related situations
- Of those, four were friends or family members attempting to intervene and three were children under the age of two, killed alongside their mother.
- Four women were pregnant at the time of their murder
- At least 20 minor children are now left without a parent due to intimate partner violence.
"Solving issues of intimate partner violence is complex and will require early prevention interventions such as teaching our youth healthy relationship skills, addressing racial and socioeconomic inequities in housing and employment, and pursuing racial and criminal justice reform while providing safety and healing for survivors," said Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan at a press conference to share results of the report Friday. "There is so much more work we still need to do, but together we can get it done.”
In 10 months time this year, 21 people have lost their lives to intimate partner violence with two women being killed by their partners just this week, one in Bloomington and the other in St. Paul.
Throughout the month of October the 90 organizations that make up Violence Free Minnesota and other groups that work with survivors of domestic violence will be holding in-person and virtual events to draw attention to the issue.
"Unfortunately a lot of agencies saw throughout the pandemic a decrease in the number of calls to crisis lines across the state, but the calls that were coming in were a lot more severe. So it was a lot more physical assaults, a lot more chokings, stabbings, threats with a weapon things like that," said Christie Larson, Executive Director of Southern Valley Alliance.
If you or someone you know is in need of access to domestic violence resources in your area, call the Minnesota Day One Emergency Shelter and Crisis Hotline at 1-866-223-1111.