Gilroy
– There were six domestic violence deaths in Santa Clara County
last year, the lowest rate in the decade that such deaths have been
tracked.
Gilroy – There were six domestic violence deaths in Santa Clara County last year, the lowest rate in the decade that such deaths have been tracked.
The drop in the number of victims, from 21 to 2003, was attributed to a number of factors, according to Supervising Deputy District Attorney Rolanda Pierre-Dixon, who chairs the multi-agency Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, which released its 2004 report on Monday.
Most notably, the community increasingly reported incidences of non-lethal domestic violence. Also, police confiscated more guns from homes where domestic violence was taking place, and arrested more abusers.
The six deaths were among 5,337 domestic violence cases reported in the county last year.
Three of the deaths were homicides and three were suicides. One of the suicide victims was from Morgan Hill, but none were from Gilroy.
In all of the cases, the victim had talked about divorce or separation. In five of the cases, the perpetrator made prior threats of homicide or suicide.
In every case, the abuser began showing outward signs of distress, such as sleeplessness or mood swings.
