Last November it made headlines in the Big Apple how the Dominican Luis Collado, 52 years old, was accused of murdering his wife Rosa Acevedo and his stepson in Brooklyn. Months earlier, Edison López, a 41-year-old janitor of Venezuelan origin, stabbed his wife and two young children before committing suicide in Manhattan.
It is still fresh in the memories of co-workers from the Quisqueyan stylistCarmen Iris Rodríguez Santiago, when her crazed partner stabbed her inside her workplace, in a hair salon in Queens, in the summer of 2019. And so… stories of couples from New York City that ended in tragedy, blood and violence continue to appear incessantly.
Specifically, the category of crimes designated as ‘Murder by Intimate Partner Violence’ (IPV), It grows steadily in the statistical lines of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). They are more commonly called in popular slang: “crimes of passion.”
According to latest report of the NYC Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, These crimes increased by a staggering 29.2%, in the period of one year between 2021 and 2022.
This means, the second largest increase in intimate partner death rates in New York City in a decade. It is also derived from these figures that domestic violence situations represented almost the 20% of all fatalities in the Big Apple in this period of time.
The large proportion of these types of bloody fatalities are located in Hispanic neighborhoods of Manhattan and communities of color in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, defined by high levels of unemployment and poverty.
Women of color….in the red
That increase in domestic violence-related murders comes even as the number of homicides remained relatively stable between the two years, and Mayor Eric Adams has shed light on The number of violent deaths decreased in the last twelve months.
The truth is that in this specific line, The red numbers continue to rise.
Between 2010 and 2022, there were 793 homicides of intimate partnersrepresenting 16.7% of all murders during that period: 854 out of a total of 5,125.
This report covers the relationships between people who They are or were married, divorced, are dating or have a child in common.
In this sense, Hispanic women represented the 27.3% of this type of homicides, but only 14.6% of the city’s population.
For its part, the black female population was disproportionately more affected by this type of bloody violence: accounted for 31.2% of all murderswhile they only represent 13% of the city’s population.
Apart from ethnic origin, report details the asymmetric number of victims in certain districts.
Not Brooklynintimate partner homicides increased by 225% and the Bronx also saw an increase in 57% during the same period.
The reading of Cecile NoelCommissioner of the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic Violence (ENDGBV) is that the wound that domestic violence leaves on minority women remains evident.
“The disproportionate burden of domestic and intimate partner homicides on women of color is inexorably linked to policies that reinforce prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against minority or marginalized groups.” based on race, ethnicity, sex, immigration status, or social or economic status”, he interpreted.
Last summer in this building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, four members of a family were found stabbed, after a janitor of Venezuelan origin allegedly killed his partner, his two babies and himself. (Photo: F. Martínez)
Death warrant
Studies agree that the “death sentence” for women almost always begins to be written when they begin to be burdened by jealousy, undetected mental health problems, substance abuse, economic pressures and financial dependency.
In the opinion of several activists and leaders of organizations that offer relief to survivors, the upward and dangerous curve of these crimes, It intersects with the reduction of municipal funds for prevention.
Along with these official records, Urban Resource Institute (URI), recently published a report with proposals to end this cycle of violence, outlining that organizations that support survivors have been subject to large budget cuts in recent months.
It is believed that historically, when difficult budget decisions have had to be made in New York City, programs that support survivors, their families and the homeless, They are among the first to be eliminated.
Last year, organizations like URI that offer domestic violence support were left reeling after announced budget cuts, which included generically a reduction of 2.5% for various agencies.
Currently this sector faces a round of cuts that will go away implementing progressively over time.
“There is no more to cut. The consequence of one or two more rounds of cuts would be disastrous and threaten service delivery. “The impact of historic disinvestment in victim services can be clearly seen,” the URI document outlines.
In conclusion, they strongly question that instead of measuring the cost of another round of cuts in dollars saved, They should measure the number of lives lost or displaced.
Let’s redouble prevention
For more than 40 years, URI has worked to break the cycles of gender-based violence and homelessness. It currently provides shelter to more than 2,900 people every night and provides client-centered, trauma-informed care to more than 40,000 people a year, who face domestic violence and are homeless.
“Every life lost, every future that is derailed, is a tragedy resulting from the failure of a policy. “Every death could have certainly been prevented.”commented in the conclusions of this report Nathaniel Fields, executive director at URI.
Education and prevention campaigns in communities of color could be a way out reduce this criminal trend.
“New York must implement a public awareness campaign, with a focus on communities of color, designed to empower community members to identify “Signs of abuse and where they can go for help”Field shared in a statement to local media.
Shield for victims
In contrast, municipal sources highlight that they have sustained Effective strategies have emerged to shield victims.
“Several initiatives are underway to reduce barriers and discrimination to improve access to resources and address the disproportionate impact of intimate partner violence on communities of color“, defend spokespersons for the Mayor’s Office to Eradicate Domestic Violence.
They cite, for example, as a spearhead, the expansion of the Home + program (HOME +) a program that provides free and confidential safety resources to survivors of domestic and gender-based violence who They want to stay in their homes instead of entering shelters.
The program was launched in 2021 to provide survivors with emergency response systems, Personal alarms that at-risk people can customize to notify family, friends, service providers or to the police when they are activated.
This plan has been expanded to provide options such as lock, door and window repair and replacement serviceswhere applicable, including replacement of locks within 24 hours.
HOME+ is a redesign of the program New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) Alternative to Shelter (ATS)which eliminates the requirements for an active protective order and police response to participate in the program.
Where and how?
- 8 of the fifteen community districts with the highest counts of Bloody domestic violence fatalities are found in the Bronx.
- 3 are the neighborhoods of Manhattan with the most fatal reports of domestic violence: Washington Heights, Inwood and Harlem, precisely locations where the majority of residents are Hispanic.
- 3 Queens locations with more incidents ending in fatal outcome: Jamaica, Rochdale and St. Albans
- Homicides increased 225% for domestic violence in Brooklyn. They rose from 4 in 2021 to 13 in 2022.
- Murders of intimate partners increased 100% with knives. 8 were registered in 2021 to 16 in 2022.
- 22.2% increased these firearm fatalities. Nine cases in 2021 versus seven in 2022.
- 2.4 more likely to be victims of homicide due to domestic violence people of color have on their partner’s side.
- 20% of crimes of passion in this period of time They also involved a child victim who was 10 years old or younger.
- 40 years is the age average of intimate partner victims.
Are you afraid of being attacked? There are resources to help!
- The first option and The easiest is to call 311 and request to be connected to a Family Justice Center from New York City
- Call the 24-hour New York City Domestic Violence Hotline at (800)-621-HOPE (4673)
- Check out resources and help programs at www.nyc.gov/NYCHOPE
- If you need immediate police response, do not hesitate to call 911
- You can call the hotline against New York State Domestic and Sexual Violence is available 24 hours a day7 days a week: (800)-942-6906
- You also have the option to send a text message to (844) 997-2121
- You can write to @opdv.ny.gov
2024-02-12 20:20:46
#Murders #women #hands #partners #increase #poorest #neighborhoods #Big #Apple #Diario
