Domestic Violence In Colorado: New Report Shows Dramatic Spike In Deaths

(CBS4) -- At least 70 people died in Colorado in 2019 as a result of domestic violence incidents, according to a report the Colorado Office of the Attorney General released Friday. That's up from 2018, when a total of 43 people died as a result of domestic violence incidents.

Of the 70 people who died from a domestic violence incident in 2019, 39 were primary victims, one was a child, and 27 were the primary perpetrators of domestic violence.

Gunshot wounds were the most common cause of death, with 45 people dying as a result of this type of injury.

Denver County had the highest number of fatal domestic violence-related incidents (15), followed by Adams County (6), and Jefferson County (6).

Attorney General Phil Weiser said the 2019 cases demonstrate the toll that domestic violence takes on children and said the first recommendation this year is to focus resources on the child survivors of these incidents.

Recommendations in this year's report include:

• Developing policies and resources to support children exposed to domestic violence and domestic violence fatalities: Research shows that children reside in 60% or more of households where domestic violence is perpetrated, and many perpetrators of domestic violence witnessed and/or experienced abuse as children. Focusing on providing resources to children may help them heal from trauma and/or prevent them from becoming perpetrators in the future.
• Implementing the Lethality Assessment Program across Colorado: The Lethality Assessment Program helps first responders identify victims of domestic violence who are in the highest danger of being killed by their partners, and tailor a response. In the coming year, the review board and partners will work to develop guidelines and training resources for communities who wish to implement the program.
• Prohibiting domestic violence perpetrators from possessing firearms: Research shows that domestic violence perpetrators are more likely to kill their victims than those without firearms, and that states that adopt laws prohibiting the possession of firearms by perpetrators of domestic violence saw a decrease in domestic violence fatalities. The board recommends Colorado continue to enhance policies and practices designed to keep firearms out of the hands of domestic violence perpetrators, to increase both victim and community safety.