Mississippi advocates fear abuse ‘epidemic’ after senate kills divorce bill [View all]
Source: The Guardian
Mississippi advocates fear abuse ‘epidemic’ after senate kills divorce bill
Matthew Teague
Saturday 30 April 2016 12.00 BST
In Mississippi an abused spouse must remain in a violent marriage, according to the state legislature.
A bill that would have made domestic abuse grounds for divorce died in the state senate last week. And the decision shocked victims’ rights advocates around the state.
“We have an epidemic here,” said Lorine Cady, founder of the House of Grace, a center for victims in Southaven. “I think domestic abuse should be at the very top of the list of reasons for divorce.”
It’s a decision that will affect thousands of spouses across the state, both men and women. One in three women, and one in four men, have been abused by partners in the state, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Those figures are for physical abuse alone, and do not include mental and emotional abuse.
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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/apr/30/mississippi-domestic-abuse-violence-marriage-senate-bill-divorce
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