The worldwide pandemic kept many couples locked down in their houses. The most solid of relationships felt the strain. While many made the best of an admittedly bad situation, other Colorado residents were allegedly living in fear of their partners.
Spending more time at home seemed to have dangerous consequences due to the shelter-in-place mandates during the coronavirus outbreak. Domestic violence calls to 911 calls rose to an alarming 50% increase.
Nearly 40% of women and 31% of men in the state were stalking or physical and sexual violence victims. The data comes from employees and volunteers with TESSA, an organization dealing with partner-on-partner violence.
Police data in Colorado Springs revealed that the approximately 800 calls in 2019 increased to around 1,200 last year.
More restrictions for the accused
Mere days after six people were killed in a domestic dispute, the Colorado House responded by approving a measure that would require those with domestic violence protection orders against them to report their firearms.
Judges issuing the orders must have specific information on the type of gun and the weapon’s location within a week. The legislation spells out that those facing these orders are at a “very high likely rate” to commit domestic violence against a partner.
For those dealing with these serious allegations, a criminal charge does not mean that a guilty verdict is automatic. Many cases become complicated due to emotionally charged issues. Accusations of domestic violence alone may result in immediate restrictions on the suspect’s rights before any conviction.