SPOKANE, WA – An average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States. More than 12 million women and men are victims over a single year. That is according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington joined the U.S. Department of Justice this past month in reaffirming its unwavering commitment to supporting survivors, raising awareness, and promoting justice for all affected by domestic violence.
Vanessa R. Waldref is the U.S. Attorney for Eastern Washington.
From the USAO:
DVAM serves as a crucial opportunity to shed light on the profound impacts of domestic violence and emphasize the importance of collective action. Each year, millions of individuals are impacted by intimate partner violence, and far too many families endure the tragic consequences of domestic abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to ensuring that survivors are heard, and perpetrators are held accountable.
This year is a special year to commemorate DVAM because it is also the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act. In 1994, the passage of this landmark, bipartisan legislation transformed the way our nation addresses domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by increasing protections for survivors, providing critical federal resources to support a coordinated community response to these crimes, and awarding grants at the local, state, territory, Tribal, and national levels. Recent grant awards include $350,000 to the City of Yakima to combat domestic violence and sexual assault and $600,000 the Kalispel Tribe of Indians to respond to and prevent sexual assault.
“Everyone deserves to live in a safe home free of domestic violence,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Domestic violence victims often struggle to access the justice system and get the protection and resources they need, which is why we use all the tools at our disposal—including leveraging our partnerships with local law enforcement, domestic violence advocacy organizations, and local prosecutors—to ensure victims have a viable path to safety and justice.”
Domestic violence is one of the root causes underlying the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) crisis. Prosecuting cases on Tribal lands that involve intimate partner violence is a critical tool to bringing justice to victims and safety to Tribal communities. Recent cases include:
- United States v. Marvin Samson Butterfly, 2:23-cr-00110-TOR: Butterfly was found guilty of assaulting and suffocating his partner, as well as Attempted Witness Tampering.
- United States v. James Edward Kensler, 2:18-cr-00096-TOR: Kensler was sentenced to 60 months in prison for violently assaulting his girlfriend.
- United States v. Branden Scott Higgins, 1:23-cr-02056-SAB: Higgins was sentenced to nearly three months in federal prison for choking his pregnant girlfriend
- United States v. Xander Lee Ostenberg, 2:23-cr-00031-TOR: Ostenberg was sentenced to 60 months in prison for violently assaulting his partner and tribal elders.
Another crucial part of combatting domestic violence and reducing violent crimes includes enforcing federal firearm prohibitions. Domestic violence abusers with access to a gun are five times more likely to kill their partners. In addition to their lethality, firearms are used by abusers to inflict fear, intimidation, and coercive control. Under federal law, people with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions and those subject to domestic violence protective orders are prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms.
In October 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref announced her office’s Safe Homes, Safe Community Initiative to prevent domestic violence homicides and prevent abusers who have previously been convicted of domestic violence offenses from having access to firearms. Partnering with the Yakima Police Department, Yakima County Prosecutor’s Office, Spokane Police Department, and Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office, and domestic violence prevention advocates, the U.S. Attorney’s Office focuses enforcement on individuals identified as repeat domestic violence abusers who unlawfully possess firearms.
Recent cases charged as part of the Safe Homes, Safe Community Initiative include:
- United States v. Benjamin D. Cliett, 1:22-cr-02111-MKD: Pleaded guilty to Person Subject to a Court Order in Possession of Firearms, in connection to violating a no-contact order and possessing more than a dozen firearms.
- United States v. Tyler Jonas Senator, 1:23-cr-02027-SAB: Sentenced to 84 months on one count of Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and one count of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner by Strangling or Suffocating, in connection with a violent attack on his partner.
- United States v. Michael Brian Ross, 2:23-cr-00021-MKD: Sentenced to 4 years on count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, in connection with threating his partner with a firearm.
“Federal prosecutors witness the devastating impacts of domestic violence on the lives of victims and their families, who may endure long-term trauma and are at increased risk for returning to abusive relationships. Firearms are used by abusers to control their victims through fear and intimidation. Law enforcement responding to active domestic violence scenes are also at increased risk when firearms are present,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref.
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U.S. Attorney Waldref continued, “My Office’s Safe Homes, Safe Community Initiative focuses on curbing gun violence by removing firearms unlawfully possessed by individuals with a track record of violent crime and domestic violence – these efforts protect victims, law enforcement, and the entire community.”
Facing domestic violence? Find support in your state through @OVWJustice’s Local Resources: https://www.justice.gov/ovw/
Immediate help for domestic violence victims: Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (@ndvhofficial) at 1-800-799-7233 or Strong Hearts Native Helpline (@strongheartsdv) at 1-844-762-8483.
