A new report shows a record number of people died in Minnesota last year as a result of domestic violence.
According to Violence Free Minnesota, at least 40 people died from intimate partner violence or by intervening in a case of domestic violence. Of those 40 deaths, 29 were killed by an intimate partner, while 11 were intervening or bystanders near a violent exchange.
Senior Communications Manager Maggie Royer says too many factors play into the issue to say what’s really causing the rise in deaths.
“We can’t point to one specific factor that caused a larger number,” says Royer. “But what I can say is that a lot of advocates reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, that they were seeing an increase in the severity of domestic violence.”
She says part of the problem is that these kind of deaths aren’t universally tracked, and that not every incident is reported. She and he team at Violence Free Minnesota are pushing for laws that put more safeguards in the reporting process and in legal arenas for victims.