Article: Intimate partner homicides declined slightly in New York State in 2009

ALBANY ─ Intimate partner homicides in New York State declined slightly in 2009, but women continue to be most at risk for violence by someone they know, according to a new report issued today by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).

The report, “Domestic Homicide in New York State: 2009,” details homicides in which the victim was an intimate partner (spouse, ex-spouse, sexual partner or ex-partner, including same-sex partners) or other family member (sibling or parent, for example) of the perpetrator. It also tracks homicides of children under the age of 18 by their parent, their parent’s intimate partner, or other family member.

In addition, two reports issued today by the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) show that many other indicators of non-lethal domestic violence, including the number of court filings and calls to hotlines, are showing an upward trend for the third consecutive year.

Last year, 89 individuals were killed by their intimate partners, two fewer than in 2008. But the number of intimate partner homicide victims who were female – 68 – remained the same in 2009 and 2008, as compared to 59 women killed by their intimate partners in 2007. According to the DCJS Domestic Homicide Report:

44 percent (68 of 156) of female homicide victims aged 16 or older were killed by their intimate partner. In 15 of those cases, the male perpetrator killed himself after committing the murder.
In contrast, only 4 percent (21 of 585) of adult male murder victims were killed by an intimate partner.
The number of domestic homicides that claimed the lives of children under the 18 declined dramatically, with 17 children killed in 2009, as compared to 31 in 2008 and 39 in 2007. Five of the 17 children who died last year were killed by their parent’s intimate partners.
“As this report illustrates, women are most at risk for violence by someone they know, often, in their own homes,” said DCJS Acting Commissioner Sean M. Byrne. “Policy makers on the state and local level must continue to closely monitor these trends and other sources of domestic violence data so that we can develop effective responses to combat and prevent this crime.”

OPDV’s 2009 Domestic Violence Dashboard Project and the 2009 New York State Domestic Violence Annual Report provide a detailed look at indicators of domestic violence as reported to criminal justice and social services agencies, non-profit organizations and courts across the state, as well as the state’s response to combating it through new policies and programs, legislation, training and advocacy.

“Intimate partner homicides are just the tip of the iceberg, as the data contained in the 2009 Dashboard shows,” said OPDV Executive Director Amy Barasch. “Unfortunately, New York, like many other places, is experiencing an increase in a broad range of domestic violence indicators, including more claims for reimbursement filed by domestic violence and sexual assault victims with the state’s Crime Victims Board, more court cases for orders of protection, and more applicants for temporary public assistance disclosing their abuse.”

Executive Director Barasch added: “Identifying and tracking these trends are critical, especially as resources become scarce. We need to ensure that we are getting help to those who need it in the most efficient and effective way possible.”