Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Honoring Texans who lost their lives
Written by Antwon R. Martin
Each year during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Texas Council on Family Violence releases a report about the women who lost their lives at the hands of intimate partners.
In addition to statistics and insights, the 2017 report includes a memorial to the women who have died in Texas as a result of domestic violence.
The 2017 report is available through TCFV here along with all past reports.
Their stories
Texas saw 136 women killed by their partners last year. Of these women, two lived right here in Austin.
Paisley Langmade died on June 21, 2017, after being stabbed by her husband. Her murderer then killed himself. Officers had responded to their home more than once in the year leading up to Paisley’s murder.
Andrea Faye Lindsey was also stabbed and killed by her partner. On Dec. 15, police responded to a 911 call from neighbors who witnessed the assault. Andrea’s boyfriend was still stabbing her when police arrived. Emergency responders were unable to save her. She is survived by her son.
The numbers
According to the TCFV report, ages of victims ranged from 14 to 84. Nearly half of the victims were between the ages of 20 and 39.
In 65 percent of these murders, the perpetrator used a firearm. And 70 percent of the murders took place at their home.
A total of 211 children lost a parent as a result of domestic violence.
Domestic violence awareness
The TCFV report focuses on women, however, domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, education, religion, class, disability status, sexual orientation, or other characteristics. It can happen among couples who are married, living together, or dating.
Abuse can take many forms and often begins with the abuser exerting control over certain parts of their partner’s life. The abuse then progresses in frequency and intensity.
It comes in many forms, including:
- Physical: Any forceful or violent behavior
- Emotional: Any abuse that attacks someone’s self-esteem and definitions of who they are
- Economic: The use of finances to control or limit a partner
- Psychological: Any abuse with the threat of violence, including fear, pain, and degradation
If you need support
Our confidential, 24-hour SAFEline is available to anyone seeking help with domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse, human trafficking, or parenting support.
You can call us at 512.267.7233, text us at 737.888.7233, or chat online at safeaustin.org/chat.
Our advocates are fluent in Spanish and English and can use interpretation software for other languages.
About TCFV
The Texas Council on Family Violence promotes safe and healthy relationships by supporting service providers, facilitating strategic prevention efforts, and creating opportunities for freedom from domestic violence.
Since 1978, the Texas Council on Family Violence has been a nationally recognized leader in the efforts to end family violence through partnerships, advocacy, and direct services for women, children, and men. TCFV is one of the largest domestic violence coalitions in the nation, with a membership comprised of family violence service providers, supportive organizations, survivors of domestic violence, businesses, communities of faith, and other concerned citizens. As a membership-focused organization, TCFV is firmly committed to serving its members, communities in Texas and thousands of victims of domestic violence and their families.
