VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. — Ventura County District Attorneys partners with multiple California District Attorneys to help victims of domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday.

Ventura County District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced that the County’s Office along with three other districts including Sacramento, Alameda and San Diego counties will partner together to help victims of domestic violence.

During the pandemic, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has reported an increase in calls to the hotline. They say their reports show that physicians are treating more domestic violence injuries and these injuries are more severe.

They are seeing an alarming rise in domestic violence due to victims being trapped at home with their abusers under increasing stress due to COVID-19.

With the rise in cases, the District Attorneys have launched an outreach campaign to help victims of domestic violence during the pandemic.

The campaign will include a public service announcement video and public awareness messages on social media.

There will be a new post each day for a whole week. The posts will provide resources for victims such as 24-hour hotlines and other services vital to reporting abuse.

The posts also provide tips for concerned friends, relatives and educators on how they can help victims of abuse.

“Our goal is to hold offenders accountable while also providing a richer, multi-faceted and more robust system of services to help respond to the impact of violence on the innocent victims, survivors and their families. That is why we and 30 local agencies created the Ventura County Family Justice Center” said Gregory D. Totten, Ventura County District Attorney.

According to the CDC, roughly one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner. Research further shows that abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners than abusers who don’t have access to a firearm.

Under California state and federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm if you are a felon, and the District Attorneys of California and the United States Attorney’s Office will prioritize prosecuting individuals with domestic violence felony convictions who possess a firearm.

The United States Attorneys and District Attorneys are joined by local domestic violence service providers and Childhelp, a national nonprofit organization aiding victims of child abuse.

If you are in a domestic abuse situation, contact the Ventura County Family Justice Center at 805-652-7655, text 805-947-7981 or email vcfjc.coop@ventura.org.

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