New law to help domestic abuse victims

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A new state law designed to help victims of domestic abuse stay safe will go into effect on Wednesday. Judges will be able to make offenders who violate protective orders wear tracking devices.

A local abuse victim talked with 24-Hour News 8 about the new law. She told News 8 she has obtained a protective order, but it hasn’t worked. For more than a year she said she’s been living in fear.

She said police never caught her ex-husband harassing her until she finally got the nerve to snap pictures of him on her property.

"It's been torture not knowing if I could leave the house."

She's hopeful she will have a better sense of security after her abuser goes back to court soon.

"We're seeing a surge of domestic violence," said Laura Berry, Executive Director of the Indiana Coalition against Domestic Violence.

It's been a difficult few months for Berry. As she's waited for enactment of the new law she pushed for, men who violated protective orders are accused of murdering three local women, including Brownsburg mom Angela Warnock.

Johnny Williams is one of several case managers for Electronic Monitoring Systems. He and others are assigned 24-7 to monitor offenders wearing GPS equipment. After notifying victims, he tells the offenders to leave what's called the victim zone. If they don't, police are sent.
Owner of Electronic Monitoring Systems, Sylvester Coleman said it’s a good law, but not a perfect solution to stopping crimes of passion.

"No bracelet or nothing else can probably prevent that, but we just have to do our best to minimize those possibilities," said Coleman.

The victim News 8 talked to thinks the new law will save lives, possibly her own.

"I would know before he got a chance to act."

The law calls for the offenders to pay for the GPS equipment. Electronic Monitoring Systems charges $12 a day. If they don't pay, a judge can find them in contempt of court and they could go to jail.

Victims can even volunteer to pay for the devices for their own safety, but taxpayers will not be charged.