BILLINGS, Mont. -- Tuesday in Billings, service providers, local officials, and survivors gathered to discuss how to move forward with establishing a Family Justice Center... 'Alliance for Hope International’ hopes to make an impact on the issue of domestic violence in our community.
By establishing a Family Justice Center, the city hopes to provide better support to domestic violence survivors and their families and services for those currently experiencing domestic violence, all in one location.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 37% of women and 34% of men in Montana experience domestic abuse from their partners.
Katie Nash, one of two Domestic Violence Investigators with the Billings Police Department said that on average she sees about 350 cases of domestic violence a year
Nash said strangulation is the most common offence in domestic violence cases. According to the 2022 Billings PD Annual Report, there were 116 cases of strangulation from a partner or family member.
"It's a rampant problem in the community, and even the survivors of strangulation a lot of times don't realize the severity and I'll speak to women that have been strangled and they'll say, 'oh I haven't punched or anything I was just choked and that's so alarming to me and it's definitely a problem the community as a who needs education on about it to stay safe so that we can step in and hold people accountable," Nash said.
Nash said there are some situations where a victim may not show physical signs of abuse, instead, they experience mental abuse.
Currently Nash said there are little to no resources for that type of abuse in our community, but a family justice center could change that.
"I have heard victims say, 'it's not going to be until he kills me or seriously injures me, and from the police department perspective, our hands are kind of tied, so it will be so good to have community resources where I can say, 'I can't charge a crime, but I can give you these other resources, I can walk you down the hall to someone who can help you, even though there is not a criminal act that's occurred." Nash added.
There are more than 100 family justice centers already open across the U.S. once established and opened, the communities they are in report less homicides, better safety measures, and empowered survivors who feel more confident in their autonomy.
These meetings are the next steps in the planning process to establish a facility right here in Magic City.
The goal of the Family Justice Center is to bring hope back into the lives of those who feel hopeless by not only providing support and services, but also by building community.
