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Gender-based Violence

Bipartisan Legislators Announce New Laws to Address Domestic Violence That Take Effect August 1

Minnesota lawmakers hosted a news conference Thursday to highlight new domestic violence laws to strengthen protections for survivors, close longstanding legal loopholes, and improve accountability across the criminal justice system.
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Mary Moriarty

Part 2: Building Prosecution and Prevention Into Addressing Domestic Violence

“To be honest, people put the resources where their values are, right? Credit to Katie Blackwell, who was adding resources when she had the opportunity. But what does it say when you have only four or five investigators doing all of the domestic violence cases in the city of Minneapolis?”
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PART 1: Allison Lussier’s Mishandled Case Is Leading to Process Changes — Slowly

An after-action audit of Allison Lussier's case signals that deep culture change is needed to address the implicit and explicit bias that exists within the police force. The audit further recommends that a domestic violence advocate should respond to GOA calls alongside police to support the victim and ensure that the proper documentation is completed. A domestic violence workgroup has identified a risk assessment tool they hope the police start using.
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SOLUTION: Designing for Safety

"In February 2026, a vision became real for a network I have been working alongside. Through partnership with federal leaders and community advocates, we purchased a safe home designed specifically for African immigrant and refugee survivors of domestic violence. It is a space where women do not have to choose between safety and their children."
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From The 19th: Minnesotan’s Issue With Domestic Violence Services Underscores Chasm

Domestic violence organizations have to turn away thousands each day. Julia was one of them.
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Survivors of Domestic Violence Share Inadequacies of the Legal System

A new short documentary produced by Battered Women's Justice Project centers the stories of two domestic violence survivors. A recent panel discussion unpacked what society needs to be able to recognize and do.
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TALK & DO: Recovering From the Trauma of ICE Operations – What Do We Do Next? (Part 1)

With thousands of masked and armed federal forces now mostly…
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The Capitol Action Day Around Violence Protection

Organizers responsible for the day and call to action included Violence Free Minnesota (VFMN), the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA), Mending the Sacred Hoop (MSH), Minnesota Alliance on Crime (MAC), Minnesota Children’s Alliance (MCA), and the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC).
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“Allison’s Bill” Would Strengthen Investigations Into Deaths Suspected as Domestic Violence

Minnesota Senator Mary Kunesh is preparing to introduce “Allison’s Bill,” fueled by the death of Allison Lussier, who died of blunt force trauma. Police initially ruled the death an overdose, despite a history of domestic violence calls.
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COLUMN: Centering the Most Impacted

How do we continually reimagine traditional processes to center leadership so the voices of those most impacted are providing leadership, not simply input?
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A Week of Connecting Dots Around Abusive Behavior

Lynn Tramonte, executive director of the Ohio Immigrant Alliance, pointed out that there is “a real problem with gender-based violence by ICE agents — and the agency is not taking it seriously. Andrew Golobic used his position of power against women who feared deportation to extort sex.
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Honoring Minnesotans Who Lost Their Lives in 2025 Because of Abusive People

The annual Intimate Partner Homicide Memorial was hosted by Violence Free Minnesota at the Saint Paul College Club on January 30, honoring Minnesota lives lost to domestic violence in 2025.
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Barriers and Preventative Action: A Conversation on Domestic Violence in Rochester

How housing barriers with landlords and untrained law enforcement impacts survivors of domestic violence — and the changes and solutions happening in Rochester to try to correct that.
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Violence Prevention: The Nature of Coercive Control (Part 2)

“Coercive control is often the earliest and most overlooked warning sign of repeated escalating violence. It appears in teen relationships, long-term partnerships, rural and domestic areas."
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Violence Prevention series: What Happens When We Tell These Stories Wrong, or Not At All?

Within the past several years, and indeed since January, we have witnessed an explosive rise in misogyny in both virtual and in-person spaces, resulting in wall-to-wall news coverage that is rarely explored with nuance.
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