Behind the Scenes of "Taking Action Against Domestic Violence"
This week at ABC Action News, employees are reaching an important milestone - a decade of domestic violence awareness! Every year, 6 weeks of intense content is packed into news stories, public service...
View ArticleWATCH | Taking Action Against Domestic Violence Wednesday at 7pm
For 10 years, ABC Action News has been committed to domestic violence awareness.Often domestic violence can be hidden in plain sight.In fact, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men in the U.S. across all...
View ArticleSt. Petersburg police cars will now display message against domestic violence
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA - Every police car in St. Petersburg will display a new magnet with the messages ‘Stop Domestic Violence’ and ‘Call for Help’.Chief Anthony Holloway approved the magnets after one...
View ArticleDomestic Violence survivor: Talk to someone, don't lose hope
POLK COUNTY, Fla. — We all have a calling in life. Sometimes we find it, other times it find us.Carolyn Hennecy is a world-renowned author and public speaker. She turned tragedy into triumph by...
View ArticleTampa woman survives being shot in the head and her two children being gunned...
TAMPA, Fla. -- Patty Parra-Perez suffered through 15 years of emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her then-husband."I am one of those people that thought that by loving him, I could change...
View ArticleWhere to turn for help against domestic violence in the age of COVID-19
TAMPA, Fla. — Lockdowns and social distancing can be vital for limiting the spread of COVID-19, but they can prove deadly for domestic violence victims, who can find themselves trapped with their...
View ArticleDomestic violence levels are increasing with victims stuck at home with...
Murder-suicides are all too common, often taking the lives of innocent victims.And more often, a murder-suicide is committed by an intimate partner through a domestic violence relationship.Lariana...
View ArticleProtection orders deemed 'mission critical' during COVID-19
In the days and weeks after COVID-19 hit, jury trials were postponed and Tampa Bay area courthouses got much quieter. It left many domestic violence victims wondering where they could go to get an...
View ArticleInvisible Scars: The psychological toll of verbal and emotional abuse
TAMPA, Fla. — Survivors of domestic violence sometimes take longer to heal from the emotional abuse they experienced than the physical.Many people think of horrific physical abuse when they hear about...
View ArticleJustice delayed for domestic violence survivors waiting on jury trials to resume
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — With jury trials put on hold in Tampa Bay due to COVID-19, a mounting backlog of cases and months-long delays have prevented victims from moving forward.This includes domestic...
View ArticleDomestic violence shelters find ways to social distance amid pandemic
Local domestic violence shelters are finding ways to social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic while still providing help for those who need it.Laurie Herring, the Executive Director of Mary Martha...
View ArticleExpert advice on staying safe if isolated and living with abusive partner
One in four women report experiencing domestic violence in her lifetime, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for victims to reach out for help."Abusers are there all the time. So,...
View ArticleLocal 24-year-old shares story of surviving, getting out of domestic violence...
After being in an abusive relationship for five years, a young local woman shares her wisdom and advice for other domestic violence victims who are still afraid to leave.Kayla Schramm, 24, thought she...
View ArticleAdvocates: Years of abuse forced woman to stand her ground, killing husband
Over three years ago, Sabrina Hendley allegedly shot her husband Mark Hendley. But witnesses described Sabrina as hysterical just moments after prosecutors said she pulled the trigger during a pool...
View ArticleDomestic violence cases increase in Tampa Bay, experts say
Officials are seeing an increase in domestic violence cases in the Tampa Bay area.“As we’ve gone through the pandemic there’s been all sorts of stress that somebody who’s prone to commit domestic...
View ArticleLocal student helps domestic violence survivors
ABC Action News is taking action against domestic violence for the month of October by highlighting people who have a positive impact on those in our community in domestic violence situations. For the...
View ArticleHand signal helps dv victims reach out silently, virtually
It's a Zoom conversation that seems to be normal. Two women talk about a recipe for banana bread, but one woman is seen signaling something with one hand during that call.The 'Signal For Help' was...
View ArticleLocal man takes on 'grandpa' role at CASA Pinellas
For the last five years, a local man has been volunteering at CASA Pinellas and taking on the role of being everyone's grandpa. Charles Smith works in the youth center at CASA. He helps with...
View ArticleGuardian Ad Litem program helps at-risk children
Domestic violence is not always adult on adult violence, it sometimes involves children. When that happens, innocent children can be taken from their home environment and placed in the foster care...
View ArticleDomestic violence advocate and local attorney help victim's family get justice
Domestic violence in a home often goes on in secrecy for years. And that's the case of a local woman, who deputies say was murdered at the hands of her husband.Her children had no idea how bad the...
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