COLUMBUS, Ohio — Rally organizer Tamie Wilson said the state needs to do more to protect domestic violence victims. Her reason is personal.
Twenty years ago, her aunt, Linda, was shot and killed, a victim of domestic violence.
“And it just absolutely traumatized my family. It was horrific, and for the past 20 years, I’ve been trying to think, ‘what could we have done to save her?'” Wilson said.
Wilson is calling on Ohio lawmakers to pass a potentially life-saving ankle bracelet bill for domestic abusers who violate restraining orders.
House Bill 778 was introduced one year ago but has stalled in the legislature. The bill would have allowed electronic monitoring of offenders when protection orders are violated.
“I was shocked to find out nothing happened with it, and that is what prompted me to organize this rally to get the signatures I need to reintroduce the bill,” said Wilson.
Rally Against Domestic Violence takes place at the Ohio Statehouse Saturday, Oct. 23 at noon, and Wilson hopes to start collecting many of the 1,500 signatures she needs.
Marica Phipps is the founder of Battered Not Broken, and one of the speakers who will be there to share her story.
“I’ve met so many women and men that have been affected with the emotional, the physical. Some people have never been hurt physically, but they’ve endured the horrible, emotional and psychological abuse, and it’s just as damaging,” said Phipps.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Ohio lost 131 lives to domestic violence from July 2020 to June 2021, and 86% of those fatalities were from guns. There were 2,600 victims in our state in 2020, an increase of 35% from 2019. One in four women and one in nine men experience severe intimate partner physical violence.
Both women said more awareness is needed and they hope their rally is the start of more dialog and action.
“That ankle bracelet would give women and other men, people who are affected by domestic violence, just an extra feeling, a blanket of security,” said Phipps
“I created the Aunt Linda Foundation to help survivors of domestic violence. I, too, am a survivor of domestic abuse myself. So this is a very important cause that affects everyone,” said Wilson.
If you are a victim or know of any domestic violence victims, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
