Report: Ohio’s domestic violence-related deaths are highest recorded

Ohio (WOIO) - More and more children are dying as a result of domestic violence. That’s according to new data released Wednesday by the Ohio Domestic Violence Network. In most domestic violence cases, the perpetrator has been the victim’s parent.

For the last eight years, the ODVN has been counting domestic violence-related fatalities throughout the state. While the overall number of fatalities hasn’t gone up, the coalition says the number of kids getting killed Is the highest since they began keeping track.

The report shows 22 children were among the 112 people who died in domestic violence incidents between July 1 2022 and June 30 2023. Of the 112 deaths, 34 were perpetrators and 78 were victims. The victims range in age from 92 years to just four months old.

According to ODVN, 17 children were killed by their parents or stepparents. Teen-dating violence was also a factor in the deaths of two girls — ages 15 and 18 — who were shot and killed by their 18-year-old boyfriends.

Some of these cases involved repeat offenders, like Anthony Kennedy of Cleveland. He pled guilty and was sentenced to life in prison this past June for fatally shooting his girlfriend in the head. Records show he was previously arrested in 2019 for strangling another girlfriend in Cleveland.

ODVN says in most of these cases, there were warning signs. 65% of the victims had tried to get help by contacting law enforcement — or the courts — to report violence or threats of violence. In at least 24% of cases, the victim was ending the relationship when they were killed.

While most of the victims were killed with guns, 22% died from strangulation or traumatic brain injuries, according to ODVN.

Earlier this year, Ohio became the last state in the country to make strangulation a felony offense.

But there is some good news to report, for the third year in a row, ODVN says no law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty during these incidents. And in all 48 cases where the perpetrator survived, they have all been criminally charged.

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