Domestic Violence Losses in 2014

2014 was a tragic year for victims of domestic violence in the Portland metropolitan area. The Oregonian reports that the number of homicides in Portland rose to 26 last year, with domestic violence cited as the cause of a third of those deaths. Here in Clackamas County, eight homicides occurred, two of which were related to domestic violence. These domestic violence cases also included an unusually high number of murder-suicides, four in the Portland area and one in Clackamas County. Last week’s shooting in Oregon City, whose victim is thankfully still in stable condition, fits with this pattern.

Oregon law is clear: any act of violence between domestic partners is domestic violence, including murder-suicides. As our Executive Director, Melissa Erlbaum, explained last week, “Domestic violence professionals know that it is more than a single, isolated act of violence. Domestic violence consists of a cycle of abusive and controlling behavior that escalates over time.” Murder is an abuser’s ultimate expression of control.

We offer our sincere condolences to the families of the victims. Even one death is too many—these murders are not just statistics, they represent incalculable losses of community members, loved ones, and friends.

Remembering those we have lost, we hope to strengthen area services for survivors of domestic violence in 2015. Together, we can prevent fatalities and create a community free of domestic violence.