Cases of domestic violence on sharp rise in county

Tuesday, July 10, 2001 | 10:46 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Domestic violence cases rose 17 percent in Clark County during 2000, and they included 23 deaths during the last six months of the year, a state report says.

Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa said Monday the numbers from Southern Nevada were "particularly distressing."

The statistics were contained in a report titled "Domestic Violence in Nevada." Incidents jumped by 10 percent in 1999 in Las Vegas and then grew by 17 percent the following year, according to the report.

Clark County, with 68 percent of the state's population, accounted for 77 percent of the domestic violence cases, said Veronica Frenkel, domestic violence ombudsman for the state. There were 15,709 reports filed in Southern Nevada.

"The high incidence of reporting in Clark County is likely a reflection of the well-developed systems in place to respond to victims of domestic violence in the region," Frankel said.

"Additionally, some of the rural jurisdictions of our state probably experience a certain degree of underreporting, which indicates the need to support and strengthen victim services in these regions."

Statewide, the study said domestic violence reports grew 8 percent in 1999 and 15 percent in 2000 for a total of 20,648 cases. But some counties registered a decline in reported incidents.

"We must work together to send a clear message that there is no excuse for domestic violence," Del Papa said.

Frenkel said part of the reason for the higher rates is better reporting and increased protection for victims through new laws. Public awareness and confidence in the criminal justice system generally result in a greater number of reports, she said.

The numbers aren't getting any better this year with 17 domestic-related homicides in Metro Police's jurisdiction during the first six months of this year after 16 domestic homicides in all of last year.

Local police and domestic violence advocates have been unable to determine a reason for the increased number of domestic violence slayings.

Sgt. Tom Wagner of Metro's domestic violence unit said a woman who is battered will return to her partner an average of seven to 10 times before she will leave for good.