HOUSTON — For the first time, all four United States attorneys for Texas came together to raise awareness and combat domestic violence.
"We want the public to know, we stand united against family and domestic violence, and for the victims and survivors," U.S. Attorney Southern District of Texas Alamdar S. Hamdani said.
Joining them at the news conference Wednesday, was the Texas Council on Family Violence. The organization released its latest domestic violence homicide report: "Honoring Texas Victims."
"For us, (the report) is an instrument of change, it is what drives our policy priorities, it is what we hear from survivors about what we could have done differently, it allows us to identify systemic gaps," Texas Council on Family Violence CEO Gloria Aguilera Terry said.
The latest numbers are sobering. According to TCFV, 216 Texans were killed by intimate partners across 64 counties in 2022.
"Two-hundred sixteen deaths. One was too many," Hamdani said.
Women made up 179 of the victims while 37 of them were men. Nearly 130 of the women were killed by a gun. According to the report, 51% of the victims had taken steps to leave their abusers.
Leading the state once again in domestic violence homicides was Harris County with 51 deaths. However, TCFV emphasized that it's a statewide epidemic.
That's why the U.S. attorneys said they're working in conjunction with both state and local law enforcement, as well as local services, to fight the ongoing issue. They’re also working to hold abusers accountable.
"The individuals that have flown under the radar of law enforcement, who have avoided convictions, we are looking for you and we will find you," U.S. Attorney Eastern District of Texas Damien Diggs said.
They're also urging victims of domestic violence to seek help.
"We want them to know, especially those who are watching who are scared to come out of the shadows, we want you to know there are organizations here that will keep you safe and maintain your confidentiality," Hamdani said.
Another sobering statistic that came to light is domestic violence victims are getting younger.