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NNEDV Condemns LA Sheriff’s Advice as “Dangerous, Irresponsible”

August 13, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: NNEDV Communications Team (Communications@NNEDV.org)

Washington, DC – Following the murder of Monica Butler Johnson in Louisiana over the weekend, Ascension Parish Sheriff Jeff Wiley advised victims of domestic violence to arm themselves and “drop him before he gets into your house.” This advice contradicts numerous research studies showing that the presence of firearms greatly increases danger to a victim of domestic violence.

“This Louisiana sheriff’s advice is dangerous and irresponsible,” said Kim Gandy, President & CEO of the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). “The system failed Monica Butler Johnson. It wasn’t her job to arrest, detain, prosecute, or try the man who abused her. Survivors of domestic violence want to stop the abuse, and although the accused perpetrator had recently been arrested for serious domestic violence, he had already been released, and then had violated the terms of his release. He should not have been on the street to hurt her again.”

Now under arrest for her murder, Monica’s estranged husband and former sheriff’s deputy, David Johnson, had previously been charged with domestic abuse strangulation, and Monica had a restraining order against him. Strangulation is a major warning sign for lethality in domestic violence cases, and the presence of a gun makes it five times more likely that a woman will be murdered.

Many women who do as the sheriff advised and use a gun to defend themselves — a recent example being Marissa Alexander — end up being imprisoned for such actions. For example, a California state prison study found that as many as 93% of women imprisoned for killing an intimate partner had been abused by that person.

Since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the law enforcement and criminal justice response to domestic violence has improved dramatically, and this has saved the lives of countless women and children. Although there is no one-size-fits-all solution to domestic violence, and police intervention may not be sought by some victims, these systems play a critical part of each community’s response to domestic violence by holding offenders accountable and keeping victims safe.

“It is clear that the criminal justice response needs to continue to improve so that no survivor feels she needs to turn to a gun to protect herself,” concluded Gandy.

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The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) represents the 56 state and U.S. territorial coalitions against domestic violence. NNEDV is a social change organization working to create a social, political, and economic environment in which domestic violence no longer exists. NNEDV works to make domestic violence a national priority, change the way society responds to domestic violence, and strengthen domestic violence advocacy at every level.