Attorney General Phil Weiser announced that the Colorado Department of Law is awarding $44,263 to TESSA, a leading organization supporting victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault. The grant will fund the management of El Paso County’s newly created local domestic violence fatality review board for two years. Weiser made the announcement along with local law enforcement officials and community partners during a press conference at TESSA’s Colorado Springs offices.
“Organizations like TESSA play a vital role in our collective efforts to address and prevent domestic violence,” said Weiser, who also serves as the chair of the Colorado Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board. “This grant will empower El Paso County’s first domestic violence fatality review board to identify critical insights from these tragic cases, helping us better understand risk factors and ultimately prevent future tragedy.”
According to the 2023 annual report from the state’s review board, the number of domestic violence fatalities in Colorado reached an all-time high in 2022, claiming at least 94 lives. Among those, 39 individuals, or 41% of all fatalities, were killed by their current or former intimate partners, and 22 individuals, or 23%, were other victims, including six children and two peace officers.
“Our newly formed Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board is a critical initiative for our community’s response to domestic violence. By examining these tragic cases, we can identify system gaps, strengthen community responses, and ultimately work towards a safer future. We are proud to collaborate closely with the Colorado Springs Police Department, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the 4th Judicial District on this board. Their partnership is essential in understanding the complexities of these cases and developing coordinated strategies to protect victims and prevent future tragedies,” said Anne Markley, chief executive officer of TESSA.
The primary objectives of the new board will be to enhance community safety, improve victim services, and reduce instances of domestic violence-related fatalities in the county and across the state.
“The formation of this board will provide insight into a crime that’s oftentimes committed in patterns of escalating behaviors, and almost always done behind closed doors,” said Michael Allen, 4th Judicial District Attorney. “I am grateful for the opportunity to strengthen our existing relationships with TESSA, law enforcement, and domestic violence victims who, with more access to this pivotal information, will help focus our collective efforts on education and prevention – before life is taken.”
Under Colorado law, communities can establish local review teams to analyze fatal and near-fatal incidents of domestic violence. These teams, consisting of law enforcement officials, prosecutors, judges, advocates, and survivors, review closed cases to identify risk factors and interventions that could help prevent future deaths. Findings are then shared with the state review board to inform policies and improve Colorado’s response to domestic violence.
The new El Paso County board will be the fourth of its kind in Colorado, joining similar boards in Denver, Mesa County, and Pagosa Springs.
The Department of Law is on track to release the Colorado Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board annual report later this month, which will include data for 2023.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. For residents in the El Paso County region who are in a crisis or need immediate support, dial 911 or TESSA’s safe line at (719) 633-3819. Or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE (7233). For a comprehensive list of resources available throughout Colorado, please visit www.violencefreecolorado.org.
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