Jade remembered how it started with compliments and attention, before quickly turning into control, and then violence.
“He became controlling about what I ate, what I bought, and where we would go,” Jade recalled for a testimony for Safe + Equal, describing how the domestic abuse she experienced escalated into beatings that left her isolated and afraid. “I felt really trapped and isolated and became really depressed.”
Her experience, marked by control, isolation, and physical abuse, mirrors patterns city officials say are playing out across the District and driving urgent action from law enforcement and policymakers.
Standing alongside advocates and public safety officials during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (April 19-25), D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the Protecting Victims Act of 2026, a sweeping proposal aimed at strengthening protections for survivors and increasing penalties for repeat offenders.
“When we talk about making sure every D.C. resident feels safe, it has to include making sure people are safe in their own homes,” Bowser said.
Officials say the legislation comes as domestic violence continues to fuel some of the city’s most dangerous crimes, even as overall violent crime trends downward.
Interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said domestic-related incidents are behind a 36% increase in assaults involving dangerous weapons. He added that 25% of homicides in the District this year involve a domestic relationship between the victim and the offender.
“Sadly, the need for this legislation has become even more apparent this year,” Carroll said.
Officials noted that recent cases illustrate the urgency for new legislation. In one incident, a repeat domestic offender fatally shot the mother of his child before taking his own life. In another, a man shot his former girlfriend and another individual before also killing himself.
At the center of the proposed law is an effort to close gaps that officials say allow repeat offenders to continue harming victims.
The bill would strengthen enforcement of protection orders, expand pretrial detention for individuals accused of domestic violence, and increase penalties for repeat violations. It would also create new criminal charges for violence committed in the presence of a child and allow courts greater authority to hold offenders with prior histories.
Pirro said current laws do not go far enough to address the severity of domestic violence cases.
“Right now, my office has filed 90 felony strangulation cases, and we are on par to file 360 before the end of the year,” she said.
She warned that strangulation cases are among the most dangerous indicators of future violence.
“When someone strangles an intimate partner, they’re 800% more likely to kill that person in the future,” Pirro said.
The legislation would also make repeated violations of protection orders a felony offense and introduce mandatory consequences for offenders who continue to target the same victim.
Pirro pointed to another gap she said requires immediate action.
The proposal also includes provisions to modernize existing laws, including changes to kidnapping statutes and the creation of felony unlawful entry charges tied to domestic violence incidents. It also seeks to strengthen privacy protections for victims by limiting the release of identifying information.
“I am stunned to come here from New York and find out that if you assault a child or assault a spouse or a partner in front of a child, there is no separate crime,” she said. “We’ve got to make that a crime.”
Support, Resources, and Protecting Victims
Advocates who work directly with survivors say the changes are necessary but warn that legislation alone will not solve the crisis.
In a statement, the D.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence said it is encouraged by the attention to the issue but raised concerns about funding.
The organization pointed to a proposed $6.3 million reduction in victim services funding, arguing that survivors need more support to safely leave abusive situations and rebuild their lives.
For survivors, those resources can be the difference between remaining in danger and finding a path forward.
Rebecca described how her partner isolated her from family and friends and threatened her with weapons. Even after the relationship ended, she said, the abuse continued through stalking. Finding support helped her begin to rebuild her life.
“To be within a supportive group of women who just get it – it changed my life,” she said.
Sharyn, who entered a relationship that became violent, said her partner used control to limit her independence and education. After leaving, she was able to complete her studies and now works to help others recognize warning signs of abuse.
Jade said it was support from coworkers and a friend that helped her leave a relationship that had become increasingly dangerous.
“I congratulated myself for surviving the terrible experience I had endured,” she said.
City officials say such experiences are central to crafting the legislation.
“This legislation is about making sure that survivors are protected and that their safety and privacy are respected,” Bowser said.
The Metropolitan Police Department is also expanding outreach efforts, including a public awareness campaign aimed at helping residents recognize signs of abuse and connect victims to services.
Carroll said victim service specialists have been deployed to more than 20 locations across the city in response to repeated domestic disturbance calls, working to connect survivors with help and resources.
Officials say coordination between agencies will be critical to the law’s success, including efforts by prosecutors to strengthen cases early in the process.
“It is only with the help of the D.C. Council that we can make a difference for the victims who, unfortunately, are losing their lives to the person who once said that he loved them,” Pirro said.
