Peach Tree Times

A new Georgia law aims to expand domestic-violence protections in the state to include people who are dating, the target of a stalker or relationships that include a pregnancy. 

Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 231 into law in May and it took effect July 1. The new law allows people in a dating relationship to seek a protective order against an abusive partner. The measure was written by state Rep. Houston Gaines (R-Athens). 

“House Bill 231 marks a significant step forward in our efforts to end domestic violence," Gaines told 11 Alive when the legislation was signed into law. "This new law will save lives, ensuring that victims have protection against abusive dating partners.” 

Cheryl Branch, executive director of Safe Shelter Center for Domestic Violence Services in Savannah, told WTOC that police enforced exiting laws, but there were restrictions. Her center helps people who are the victims of domestic abuse navigate the court system to get temporary protective orders. She told WTOC that the center has helped with more than 350 protective orders. This number should rise with the new law. She also told the station the new law changes the paradigm for people in relationships who aren’t married. 

“It is a superior court order,” she told WTOC. “If it’s violated, the perpetrator can be arrested for stalking, which is a felony. It’s a big deal.”

The new law also can help to curb teen dating violence. The Rome News-Tribune cited data from the Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Project, which noted almost half of all domestic violence victims killed by their abusers started their relationships with that person when they were between the ages of 13 to 24. 

“Teens who are dating violence victims are particularly vulnerable to abuse and intimidation because of youth and inexperience,” Tomieka Daniel, managing attorney for the Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Project, told the News-Tribune. “Finally, GLSP can ask the court to protect these teen and child victims to keep them safer.”

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCDAV) provides state-by-state data on domestic violence trends, which raise red flags for law enforcement. According to the data, 37.4% of women and 30.4% of men in the state experience or will experience physical violence with a partner, sexual violence or a stalking incident at some point in their lives. 

The NCDAV data also show that domestic violence programs and shelters in Georgia responded to more than 52,000 crisis calls in 2019. 

Moreover, the NCDAV reported that shelters provided a place to stay to 7,214 victims of domestic violence in 2019, although more than 4,000 victims had to be turned away due to overcrowding, according to the data.