LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Investigations by the Kentucky State Police show that requests for temporary protection orders have increased.
“This happens every day in our state,” said Angela Yannelli, CEO of ZeroV.
Yannelli has been supporting victims of domestic violence for almost three decades.
Attorneys for her member program SpringHaven LLC were at the Hardin County Justice Center on Monday as Erica Riley filed for a restraining order against her boyfriend, Christopher Elder.
Elder shot Riley and her mother and wounded another person before leading police on a chase through western Kentucky and turning the gun on himself.
This tragedy occurred one week after a New Albany woman was killed by her ex-boyfriend after obtaining an EPO.
“It’s a civil defense,” Yannelli said. “It’s a tool in our toolbox to help survivors. It’s not the only thing we have to ensure their safety.”
According to a study by the University of Kentucky, victims of abuse reported a decrease in violence in all 18 categories, from verbal abuse to rape, in the first six months after receiving a protection order.
Yanelli says even in rural Kentucky, dozens of people seek this shelter every day.
Court orders are only part of the effort to protect people in difficult situations.
“It takes law enforcement. It takes courts. It takes lawyers who deal with domestic violence,” Yannelli said. “We all need to work together to guide this person through this crisis.”
Elizabethtown officials believe working within the system to protect survivors is critical.
“Everyone is doing everything they can within the law to protect them,” said Mayor Jeff Gregory. “We always have compassion for them, we are always there for them and we want to do the best for them.”
Yanelli instructs WAVE to watch for behavioral changes in acquaintances that could be signs of abuse.
“Pay attention to the signs in the people you interact with every day,” she said. “Your neighbors, your friends, your family.”
According to Yanelli, between 25 and 30 people are killed each year in Kentucky as a result of domestic violence.
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