NC on pace to surpass domestic violence homicides from 2023, 2022
North Carolina is on pace to exceed its number of domestic violence homicides this year compared to the past two years, state data shows.
The state has recorded 12 people killed by a partner or former partner between Jan. 1 through March 15.
In 2023, North Carolina had 72 domestic violence homicides. The state had 50 domestic violence homicides in 2022.
On Monday, an Apex woman was shot and killed outside her workplace. Authorities said the deadly shooting of Felicia Barbee-Battle was domestic-violence related. She was 30. Her ex-boyfriend, Tevin Leach, 30, of Holly Springs, is charged with first-degree murder.
During Leach’s appearance in court earlier this week, he and Barbee-Battle’s relatives had a heated exchange.
On Wednesday, family and friends gathered for a memorial service for Emily Steinhoff, who was shot and killed while accompanying her sister to a child custody handoff. Dorian Thomas, 50, father of Steinhoff’s niece, is charged with her murder.
Domestic violence in North Carolina
The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence defines domestic violence as the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault and other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, economic, emotional abuse and psychological abuse.
“The highest risk of harm in a domestic violence relationship is actually after the time they leave the relationship,” said North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence attorney and legal director Nisha Williams.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 35.2% of North Carolina women and 30.3% of North Carolina men experience intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner sexual violence or intimate partner stalking in their lifetimes.
A 2010 survey conducted by the CDC, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and the Division of Violence prevention found one in three women and one in four men in the U.S. have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.
“Domestic violence can happen to anyone,” she said. “It can happen to men and women.
“It doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter how rich or poor you are.”
Williams said if someone finds themselves in a fearful situation, they should start a safety plan. She suggested reaching out to a trusted loved one or friend to create code words like, “Hey, I want to order pizza tonight.”
Williams also recommended anyone in crisis contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or going to www.TheHotline.org.
“We are aware not every survivor wants to call law enforcement,” Willaims said. “We want folks to have a variety of choices in resources they can contact.”
The North Carolina Coalition of Domestic Violence says it takes an average of seven tries before a survivor permanently leaves an abusive relationship.
Anyone who feels like their life is in danger from emotional, physical or financial abuse, can also go to the nearest civil courthouse to file a 50B, which is a domestic violence protective order.
