Wisconsin Saw the Largest Increase in Domestic Violence Deaths in the Last Two Decades in 2022

Thursday, October 19th, 2023 -- 9:01 AM

(By Hope Kirwan, Wisconsin Public Radio) Wisconsin saw the largest increase in domestic violence deaths in the last two decades in 2022, setting a new record for total number of homicides and suicides related to domestic violence incidents in the state.

According to Hope Kirwan with Wisconsin Public Radio, that's according to a new report from advocacy group End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin, which has tracked domestic violence deaths since 2000.

Its latest report found 96 deaths related to domestic violence in Wisconsin last year, which includes both victims and perpetrators. That's 20 percent more than the previous year and the largest single-year increase recorded by the group.

Jenna Gormal, public policy director for End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin, said the state already has one of the worst rates of domestic violence homicides in the nation. The group recorded 68 homicide deaths of domestic violence victims across 25 counties in the state last year.

Forty-nine percent of those deaths occurred in rural areas, making up a much larger percent of the total deaths than in previous years. Gormal said rural areas often have a lack of resources and support services for victims.

She said domestic violence survivors also need access to transportation, health care and help with language barriers. And she fears a major decline in federal grant funding this fall will make these services even harder to access for rural communities.

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