RD56 - Annual Report of the Attorney General on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in Virginia
Executive Summary: The year 2004 brought with it new challenges and new gains in our work to end violence against women. The Commonwealth experienced a reduction in federal Victim of Crime Act (VOCA) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding for domestic violence programs. In addition, several of Virginia's communities and well-established programs federal discretionary grants were not renewed in 2004. Increased competition for limited dollars meant that even successful programs, such as the Southwest Virginia Legal Aid, Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, had to discontinue or substantially limit programs, services, or other important work. The decreases in funding came as our domestic violence programs and sexual assault crisis centers saw yet another increase in the number of victims and their children served. Private support and creative partnerships are increasingly more important. The Commonwealth saw a drop in several statistics that reflect progress in our battle against domestic violence and sexual assault. For example, the Department of State Police reported a decrease in the number of aggravated assaults involving spouses and dating partners from 2002 to 2003 and a decrease in all violent crimes against family and intimate partners. Additionally, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported a decrease in family and intimate partner homicides in 2003. Virginia's increasingly diverse population made it difficult for many communities to adequately respond to domestic violence and sexual assault among immigrants. Resources and programs have been developed and are in development to promote public awareness and to enhance and improve services for immigrant victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The year will be remembered for exciting new initiatives and developments. Virginia's domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions merged to form the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, marking another milestone in their years of advocating against domestic violence and sexual assault. Additionally, the Genera Assembly adopted the Attorney General's recommendation to create the Virginia Domestic Violence Victim Fund during the2004 legislative session. The Fund will be a stable funding stream to serve victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and their children. It also will provide additional funds to hire attorneys to prosecute these crimes. |
Menu
Published Documents
