Global Courant
NEW ORLEANS – The United Nations called domestic violence “the shadow pandemic” during COVID-19 lockdowns as rates rose to record levels across the country.
Now, three years later, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) says the number of victims remains worrying.
“We continue to experience a very high number of contacts with the National Domestic Violence Hotline,” said CEO Katie Ray-Jones. “About 25% increase in contact volume.”
In New Orleans, the recent death of a young mother – reportedly at the hands of her ex-boyfriend – has led city leaders and residents to demand more help for the victims.
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Asia Davis poses with her 6-year-old daughter, Myles, before she was shot dead in May. Her ex-boyfriend is being charged in connection with her death. (Kenya Davis)
In May, 28-year-old Asia Davis was found run over and shot to death. Her boyfriend, 44-year-old Henry Talley Jr., is now charged with second-degree murder.
He was previously convicted of murder for the murder of a 12-year-old boy in 1996 and received a life sentence, but was released two years ago following a Supreme Court decision that found life sentences for juveniles unconstitutional.
“She was a very lively, party-type girl,” said Asia’s mother, Kenya Davis. “She touched the lives of so many people around her.”
Kenya says her daughter tried to break up with Talley Jr.
“He didn’t want to let her go,” Kenya said. “We didn’t know there was more to it.”
After the death of her only daughter, Kenya Davis is now raising her 6-year-old granddaughter Myles. (Fox news)
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Asia’s story likely plays out behind closed doors in hundreds of thousands of homes across the country as NCADV statistics report that nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the US.
“On any given day, we can see about 3,000 contacts coming into the organization,” Ray-Jones said.
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine said domestic violence cases worldwide increased by 25% to 33% between 2020 and 2021 – the first year of the pandemic.
“Many companies are still doing home or hybrid work and so many employees are still working from home with their abusive partner,” Ray-Jones said, adding that the number of calls to the hotline has not slowed.
The CEO also believes that reporting has increased as more women learn that there are resources available that can help them.
“There’s a lot more awareness about domestic violence,” Ray-Jones said. “Google even launched a new search feature to make finding resources more accessible.”
The National Reporting Line for Domestic Violence continues to see a high call volume since the first increase in calls in 2020.
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Another concern is the shortage of national police officers and slower response times in some cities. Asia’s mother said her daughter called the New Orleans Police Department twice to report domestic violence before she was killed.
“The first time she called was around 6pm that evening and they didn’t show up until 5am the next morning, and they labeled it ‘gone on arrival,'” Kenya said. “It was 12 hours later.”
Officers mark a call as “gone on arrival” if the suspect or caller is no longer there when police arrive on scene.
The shortage of police officers nationwide and slower response times in some cities is another cause for concern for victims of domestic violence. (iStock)
“It’s hard for us to get victims to take us seriously if we don’t put their safety first by thinking a 12-hour response time to a domestic violence complaint is acceptable,” said New Orleans City Council President JP Morrell , at a meeting in May.
In a statement, the New Orleans Police Department said domestic violence calls are a high priority, adding that the first available officer was dispatched both times Asia called, but received no answer at the door.
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Kenya is now focusing on raising Asia’s 6-year-old daughter and has no time to dwell on what she cannot change.
“She knows her mother is gone,” Kenya said. “I have to be strong for my grandchild.”
Rebekah Castor joined Fox News in 2021 as a New Orleans multimedia reporter.
