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Saturday, April 26, 2025

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Deanna Nicole Dechent

In an attempt to evade being held by her previous fiance, as the vehicle was traveling at 50 mph she fled out the passenger side and was killed upon impact. This was not the first time she had found herself in these circumstaces. A simular situation occured months before.

What Is Domestic Abuse?

Domestic abuse, also called "domestic violence" or "intimate partner violence", can be defined as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure, or wound someone. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. It can occur within a range of relationships including couples who are married, living together or dating. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels.

Domestic violence results in nearly 1300 deaths annually

 with women being disproportionately affected. Around 4,000 women die each year due to domestic violence, and a significant portion (75%) of those killed are victims who were attempting to leave the relationship or had already done so.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

  • High Impact on Women: 85% of domestic violence victims are women.
  • Frequency of Homicide: Domestic violence is a leading cause of homicide for women.
  • Underreporting: Many incidents of domestic violence go unreported, with only a small percentage of sexual assaults, physical assaults, and stalking incidents being reported to the police.
  • Impact on Mental Health: Domestic violence can also lead to increased rates of suicide among victims.
1 in 6 women have been a victim of stalking at some point during their lifetime
16%
Nearly 3 in 10 women have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner and reported it having a related impact
30%
Two-thirds of female stalking victims were stalked by current or former intimate partners.
66%

Signs of domestic violence

You might be experiencing domestic violence if your partner:

You might be experiencing domestic violence if your partner:

  • Calls you names, insults you or puts you down.
  • Often acts jealous or possessive.
  • Tries to control how you spend money or your access to money.
  • Tracks where you go, what you do online or who you talk to on the phone.
  • Prevents you from going to work or school.
  • Stops you from seeing family members or friends.

An abusive pattern may include the following:

    • An abuser threatens violence.
    • An abuser harms a partner. The harm may be emotional, sexual or physical.
    • An abuser apologizes and promises to change. Gifts or favors may be part of the apology.
    • Tension builds in the relationship, and the cycle repeats itself.
    • Over time, the violence may get worse and happen more often.

People who are the targets of domestic violence may try:

  • act out verbally or physically against an abuser. That can include yelling, pushing or hitting during conflicts.
  • An abuser might use those actions to manipulate you, claiming they're proof that you're the abusive one.
  • An abuser also might downplay or explain away their own actions, causing you to doubt your experiences of abuse. This is called gaslighting.
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Depraved Indifference

Refers to a state of mind where an individual acts with a conscious disregard for the value of human life, exhibiting a wanton disregard for the potential for harm. It's a crucial element in some murder charges, particularly in cases where a death results from reckless conduct, even without a specific intent to kill.

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