Information You Should Know About Domestic Violence
The issue of domestic violence is a somber one that affects thousands of families across Florida. Victims are not only women, but men and children as well. Penalties vary and depend mostly on the kind of offense, amount of harm inflicted, the length of the accused’s criminal history, and the age of the victim.
Allegations of domestic violence can be brought against current dating partners, former dating partners, spouses or cohabitants. If you or your child is the victim of this form of assault, consult with a Boca Raton domestic violence lawyer who understands the complexities governing this type of law.
Domestic violence includes:
- any assault
- aggravated assault
- battery
- aggravated battery
- sexual assault
- sexual battery
- stalking, (including cyber-stalking)
aggravated stalking - kidnapping
- false imprisonment
- or any other criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death of one family or household member by another
family or household member (§741.28(2), Florida Statutes) - or a reasonable fear of any one of the above.
Important Statistics About Domestic Violence in Florida
According the Florida Department of Law Enforcement:
- There were 106,979 cases of domestic violence including murder, rape, fondling, assault, stalking, threat and intimidation reported in 2017. That is a rate of 522 per 100,000 people.
- During the same time, 64,781 arrests were made. Offenses perpetrated by a co-habitant were the most common followed by a spouse.
- The most prevalent offenses in 2017 were simple assaults with 52,031 people arrested of 85,721 cases reported. A distant second were aggravated assaults with 11,281 individuals arrested of 16,657 reported cases.
With simple assault, a credible threat must be present or an attempt to cause harm via bodily contact. Aggravated assault typically involves the use of a deadly weapon, but a person can also be charged if they attempt to have sexual relations with a minor or inflict bodily harm while operating a motor vehicle.
Forms of Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is often seen as one partner assaulting the other. To help clarify the matter further, below are some examples of various forms of domestic violence:
- Physical abuse– Bodily harm, injuring someone with a weapon, food deprivation, reckless driving, forcing someone to drink alcohol or use drugs, harming one’s children, stopping someone from seeking medical assistance or calling the police
- Sexual abuse– Coercing someone to dress provocatively, coercing someone to watch porn, forcing someone to perform sexual acts, intentionally attempting to pass on a sexually transmitted disease, causing someone to feel afraid or threatened if they say no to sex
Domestic Violence Consultation in Boca Raton
Cases involving domestic violence should be taken very seriously. Unfortunately, there are some claims that are false in an effort to punish someone for a perceived wrongdoing or to gain an advantage in a child custody case. In other instances, the abuse may not have been intentional. Also, it could have been in self-defense or the defense of someone else.
If you are the accused or the victim, contact the experienced Boca Raton attorneys at WiseLieberman, PLLC. We are eager to assist you with your case.
Resource:
fdle.state.fl.us/FSAC/Data-Statistics/UCR-Domestic-Violence.aspx
