Columbus, Ohio (WOWO) — Ohio recorded 134 domestic violence-related fatalities between 2025 and 2026, the state’s second-highest total on record, as lawmakers consider legislation aimed at protecting survivors, keeping their addresses confidential and helping victims disclose abuse without their abusers present. The Ohio Domestic Violence Network released the figures this week, reporting 89 deceased victims and 45 deceased perpetrators. The total follows a record high the previous year and highlights continuing concerns about lethal violence involving intimate partners. The report also documented five children murdered by a parent or stepparent during the reporting period, while 53 children witnessed the murder of a parent. Firearms were used in three-quarters of the domestic violence-related fatalities documented by the network. Another finding highlights the risks surrounding the end of abusive relationships: nearly half of the victims had left or were attempting to leave their abusers when they were killed. That proportion is almost double the percentage reported two years earlier. The findings were presented at an event at the Ohio Statehouse, where advocates and lawmakers discussed pending proposals intended to strengthen protections for people experiencing domestic violence. Lana Hiott spoke about her sister, Shannon, who was murdered by a former partner in 2023. Hiott said her sister had taken numerous precautions after the relationship ended but was still killed. “Shannon took the steps women are routinely advised to take after a difficult breakup,” Hiott said. “She blocked him, she changed her locks, she changed her logins, she had security cameras. She urged his mother to assist him in getting help. She warned over 20,000 women. And she was still murdered.” One proposal moving through the legislature would expand Ohio’s Safe At Home Program, which allows eligible participants to keep their residential addresses confidential while retaining access to services such as voting. Senate Bill 225, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Susan Manchester of Waynesfield, would extend the program’s protections to family members and broaden the categories of violence that qualify someone for participation. “My bill would expand the program to extend to family members and even expand the categories of violence, unfortunately, that would qualify for this confidentiality,” Manchester said. “No one should be prevented from exercising their right to vote because of the situations they’ve encountered.” The proposal is intended to give survivors additional options for protecting their locations and personal safety after experiencing abuse. Democratic state Rep. Dontavius Jarrells of Columbus also spoke at the event, sharing for the first time publicly that he witnessed his mother being abused when he was a child. Jarrells said that experience shaped his decision to work on legislation addressing domestic violence. “When I’m in a room full of individuals with their own lived experience, I did not want to just be someone who simply lived as an ally,” Jarrells said. “I wanted to make sure that they understood that . . . they weren’t just looking at someone who understood their issue, but they felt it deep within their own personal experience.” Jarrells is a co-sponsor of the bipartisan Break The Silence Act, which would require medical facilities to establish procedures for interviewing suspected domestic violence victims separately from their partners or alleged abusers. The proposed requirements are intended to give patients an opportunity to discuss injuries and abuse privately, without someone who may be responsible for the violence influencing what they tell medical personnel. Maria York, policy director for the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, said the proposal reflects concerns raised by survivors about what happens when they seek medical treatment alongside an abusive partner. “We’ve heard that from many survivors across the state,” York said. “They’re going into hospitals with their partner and being asked how they get their injuries and it’s not documented correctly because of course the person’s sitting right there.” Advocates say private interviews could help medical providers obtain more accurate information, document possible abuse and better identify patients who may be in danger. York also called on the Ohio House to advance bipartisan legislation reforming the state’s family law courts before the end of the year. “The laws around family courts have not been revised for over 25 years,” York said. “This is to help really create more of a safety-centered process in family courts, so we are pushing for that legislation in lame duck.” The proposed reforms are intended to place greater emphasis on safety when family courts handle cases involving domestic violence. Advocates are pressing lawmakers to act during the legislature’s remaining session this year. Manchester and Jarrells each received the Ohio Domestic Violence Network’s 2026 Croucher Award in recognition of their work on domestic violence issues at the Statehouse. The legislative push comes as the network’s findings underscore the dangers some victims face when attempting to separate from an abusive partner. The high proportion of victims who were leaving or trying to leave a relationship has added urgency to advocates’ calls for stronger confidentiality protections, improved medical screening and changes to family court procedures. The proposals address different points at which survivors may need protection: keeping their addresses private, creating opportunities to disclose abuse safely in medical settings and ensuring family court processes account for domestic violence risks. Ohio residents experiencing domestic violence, or those concerned about someone else’s safety, can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. In Franklin County, LSS CHOICES can be reached at 614-224-4663. The post Ohio Lawmakers Advance Bills to Protect Domestic Violence Survivors as Fatalities Remain High appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less