A new high-risk domestic violence response team has begun reviewing cases in Stephenson County with the goal of reducing serious injury and intimate partner homicide through coordinated intervention.
The Stephenson County Domestic Violence High Risk Team, known as DVHRT, met for the first time July 24, according to a community announcement. Team members from seven agencies reviewed domestic violence cases identified as high risk through assessments and discussed ways to provide proactive support and increase offender accountability.
“Statistics show that deaths due to domestic violence are often predictable. If a domestic violence victim is determined to be at high risk according to an assessment, they are more likely to die because of domestic violence,” the announcement stated…