On Thursday LaTonsha Pridgen, founder of Stomp Out the Silence, discussed the importance of recognizing symptoms of child abuse and what can be done to reduce the number of incidents.

During this current pandemic crisis, it is even more imperative to not only discuss, but to proceed with legislative actions that will help abuse victims.

Yesterday Congressional Candidate Vangie Williams held an online panel titled “Domestic & Sexual Abuse amid the COVID-19 Crisis.” Among the participants were:

Virginia Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy

Lisa Sales, an assault victim who has championed several legislative bills to protect victims of abuse.

Evelyn BruMar, founder of the Casa BruMar Foundation, dedicated to helping the LGBTQIA community in Prince William County.

Susheela Varky of the Virginia Poverty Law Center

Each provided their own unique perspective on their experiences dealing with this situation. Delegate Foy mentioned how during her days as a Magistrate Judicial Officer in Richmond she would come across several affidavits to see if an emergency protection order could be filled. She stated that a challenge with abuse victims reporting an incident is the economic factor. The victims sadly have no other place to go, and several are parents who must provide for their children as well.

Susheela Varky discussed how the stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in reported cases of abuse. She provided several resources for victims of abuse, including the following:

1-866-534-5243 is the hotline number to report domestic or sexual abuse.

They have a program called I-CAN, which is the Virginia courts’ program to mimic paperwork necessary for filing for a protective order. Click on the link for more details.

Legally, there are several other resources provided that the Poverty Law Center is making available during this pandemic. Click here for more details.

However, for members of the LGBTQIA community, the statistics are far worse. Evelyn BruMar provided some startling numbers relating to the number of partners who have become victims of abuse.

44% of lesbian and 61% of bisexual women have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner as opposed to 35% of heterosexual women. 26% of gay men and 37% of bisexual men have experienced the same.

Only 25% of those in the LGBTQIA community call the police for assistance after experiencing near-lethal violence, and transgender individuals are more likely to have experienced abuse and/or violence in public.

She states that many are unable to report the abuse due to fear of retaliation, isolation from the community, or potentially losing their jobs for coming out. The needs are different for their community according to BruMar, and for LGBTQIA youth, more pride counselors in whom they can discuss their situations within a safe space is needed.

For more details on how Casa BruMar is helping this community, check out their site.

As of now, there are legal orders in place to protect victims of abuse. Lisa Sales has diligently fought to hold abusers accountable, and thanks to a couple of bills that have been recently passed, that will be done. Senator Janet D. Howell introduced SB 479, which states that any person subjected to a protective order must surrender their firearm within 24 hours. More of the bill is discussed here. In addition, Delegate Michael Mullin introduced a similar bill in the House called HB 1004, which can be read here. Also, abusers who inflict abuse on animals can be charged with a felony.

If you or someone you know is dealing with sexual or domestic abuse, please know that there is help available.