New numbers show a drop in Colorado domestic violence-related deaths in 2023. That鈥檚 according to a new report from the Colorado Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board which released the numbers through the state鈥檚 Attorney General鈥檚 Office Tuesday.
The report says the state counted 58 individuals who lost their lives in a domestic violence incident. Those deaths accounted for 11% of all homicides in Colorado. The decrease is a drop from the previous two years and is aligned with a trend of decreasing violent crimes across the state. Last year, the state set a grim record of 94 deaths. The new numbers are more aligned with the count before the pandemic.
Officials are happy to see a decline, but they say there is still work to be done.
鈥淓ven as we see a decrease in domestic violence fatalities, we cannot be complacent,鈥� said Attorney General Phil Weiser. 鈥淓very life lost is a tragedy, and we must continue our efforts to combat domestic violence with a sense of urgency. It is imperative that we work together to create safer communities and support those affected by this violence.鈥�
Attorney General Weiser is the chair of the board, which works each year to collect this data and identify ways to prevent incidents. Colorado鈥檚 General Assembly first established the board in 2017, and in 2022 it was reauthorized for another five years.
In this year鈥檚 report, the board reviewed 47 separate cases. In those cases, a current or former intimate partner killed 30 of the victims. An additional seven people died as 鈥渃ollateral victims.鈥� Children accounted for more than half of the collateral victims.
Crossroads Safehouse, a Fort Collins based organization focused on providing emergency housing and legal advice for victims of domestic violence, says 2024 has been an unfortunately busy year.
"While I may understand that some of the deaths may be decreasing. Which, of course we we want to see that, and that's that's good. These very serious domestic violence cases continue to increase," said Crossroads Safehouse Executive Director Lori Kempter.
Kempter says they've seen a steep increase in lethality cases. These are incidents that include serious bodily injury and the victims are assessed as most at risk. In the past, the organization would see about nine of these cases a year, but more recently they've seen about two dozen a month.
"There's a lot of research that really looks at what is going on in this relationship that could indicate someone could lose their life," said Stacie Sutter, the program director of Crossroads. "Our local fatality review board does a really good job looking at what does the research tell us, and how do we look at these cases through that, through that research rens? And we're seeing an increase in that."
Sutter says Crossroads is struggling to keep up with demand for their services, sometimes having to turn people away. This comes after federal and state funding resources continue to diminish.
Kari Clark with Alternatives to Violence, a similar organization, says she's worried about where the funding cuts will lead.
"That those cuts to agencies and nonprofits like ours, will result in being unable to help those who need assistance and seeing that number of fatalities increase," says Clark.
The recent state report shows rural communities continue to have higher rates of domestic violence-related fatalities. It also identified pregnancy, especially in adolescent girls, as a significant risk factor in fatal cases.
Besides sharing new numbers, it's the job of the Colorado Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board to recommend ways to help with the issue. According to the press release, the recommendations this year include:
- Enhance training for court professionals: Develop comprehensive domestic violence training for Child and Family Investigators and Parental Responsibility Evaluators that addresses risk factors, coercive control, and compassion fatigue.
- Expand use of risk assessment tools: Increase the use of risk assessment tools in organizations and systems that work directly with domestic violence survivors, including the increased use of the Lethality Assessment Protocol in law enforcement settings.
- Implement victim notification system: Establish a system to notify domestic violence victims when the subject of a protection order attempts to purchase a firearm, improving their ability to assess risk and enhance safety planning.
- Address economic abuse and coerced debt: Provide more protection for domestic violence victims of economic abuse, including coerced debt, to ensure financial control and exploitation do not prevent survivors from escaping abusive relationships.
If you're experiencing a crisis or require urgent assistance, please call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE (7233). For a complete directory of resources available across Colorado, check out .
