Domestic Violence Fatalities Virginia: An Action Alliance Fact Sheet

Office of the Chief Medical Examiner

The OCME collects official data about family violence fatalities in Virginia. Their report released in October 2004 is the most detailed and comprehensive available. For more information, visit http://www.vdh.state.va.us/medexam/FIPVRpt04.pdf or call Virginia Powell at (804) 786-6047.

In the year 2003…

• 50% of all adult female homicide victims and 3.7% of all adult male homicide victims were killed by an intimate partner.
• 57 people were murdered in intimate partner homicides.
• 4 out of 5 victims were women.
• 22.8% of the victims were killed in homicide/suicide events. All of these victims were female.
• A firearm was used in 63.2% of the homicides.
• There were 25 reports of previous violence. 7 of the victims had protective orders against the alleged offenders at some point in the relationship. 8 of the alleged offenders had previously been arrested for crimes against the victim.
• 22 of the victims were ending or had ended the relationship.
• An additional 32 adults died as a result of a violent relationship between intimate partners. This category of victims includes friends, co-workers, neighbors and relatives who were caught in the crossfire or trying to protect the abuse victim, as well as alleged abusers killed by law enforcement or others who intervened.
• 67 children saw or heard homicides related to family or intimate partner violence or found the homicide victim. This includes intimate partner homicide, intimate partner associated homicide, child and elder homicide by caretaker, and other family homicide.

For more information:
Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance
1010 North Thompson Street,
Suite 202 Richmond, VA 23230
phone: (804) 377-0335 fax: (804) 377-0339
Info@vsdvalliance.org. E-mail is not a secure form of communication. To ensure confidentiality please call the Family Violence & Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.838.8238 (V/TTY).