Domestic Violence Headlines for the Week of July 14

Another week, another set of headlines that make you want to scream into the void.

Another NFL Player Arrested for Domestic Violence

Quinshon Judkins of the Cleveland Browns was arrested over the weekend in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and charged with domestic violence. The 21-year-old was arrested on Saturday, though the alleged incident happened last Monday, according to police. Judkins allegedly punched his girlfriend on the chin with a closed fist while driving in a vehicle departing the Fort Lauderdale International Airport. Judkins also allegedly hit the woman in the left arm and thigh. The woman was able to provide photos of her bruises from the incident to police. 

Officers asked the survivor why she waited to report the assault, to which she replied that “she felt bad due to the recent success and career of the defendant.” She says it was speaking to friends and family that convinced her “something needed to be done,” and that’s when she called the police. 

It’s unknown if the police asked Judkins why he assaulted his girlfriend. 

The Browns say they are “aware and gathering more details” and will “decline further comment.” The 2014 arrest of former Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice, who was captured on a surveillance video—which went viral once released to the public—punching his then-fiancé and rendering her unconscious inside a hotel elevator, was a tipping point for the NFL to take domestic violence charges more seriously. Commissioner Roger Goodell announced plans that the league would enforce stricter penalties for domestic violence offenses by its players, the staff would undergo more education around domestic violence and they would financially support domestic violence nonprofits. According to a report by ESPN, at least 55 NFL players were arrested for domestic violence from 2015 through 2023, a number the NFL claims is “half” of what they experienced before implementing their new policies. 

Rita Smith, vice president of external relations for DomesticShelters.org and a senior advisor to the National Football League on policy and training issues related to domestic violence and sexual assault, says that Judkins was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in April but has not yet been signed.

"The team is investigating the charges, and has informed his agent and him that he must focus on the DV charges and not football." She says that changes made by the NFL since 2014 have impacted how domestic violence and sexual assault charges are handled. 

"The process now provides the NFL the option of suspension, fines or both as a violation of the personal conduct policy no matter what the outcome of the criminal investigation is," says Smith.

Still, many players accused of domestic violence continue to be on the field, like Tyreek Hill, accused of breaking his 3-year-old son’s arm in 2019. The Kansas City Chiefs declared Hill would not be suspended after they had conducted their own investigation. He currently plays for the Miami Dolphins. 

Advocates say that abusers in positions of power, such as celebrities, politicians or CEOs, can escape consequences because of their access to resources. 

“They use their money and influence as part of their control, and they direct that at women,” Carmen Pitre, executive director of the Sojourner Family Peace Center told DomesticShelters.org. 

Source: ESPN.com

Colorado Man on Trial for Poisoning His Wife’s Protein Shakes, Leading to Her Death

Jury selection began Monday in the trial of James Craig, a Colorado man accused of fatally poisoning his wife of 23 years in March 2023. Craig has pleaded not guilty to killing Angela Craig with cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, the latter being a chemical found in eye drops. Prosecutors allege he laced her protein shakes and tried to stage the death as a suicide—an act referred to as a “hidden homicide.” 

Domesticshelters.org’s parent organization, Alliance for HOPE International, through their Justice Project program, independently reviews hidden homicide cases around the country at the request of family members. Casey Gwinn and Gael Strack, co-founders of the Alliance, believe there could be at least 1,000 hidden homicide cases in the U.S. each year. 

“The challenge that we have is that no one wants to admit that the murder rate of women might be double the reported rate,” says Gwinn. 

Angela began experiencing symptoms like dizziness and headaches around the time her husband, a dentist, allegedly bought arsenic online. Prosecutors say James was searching online for answers to questions including, “how to make murder look like a heart attack” and “is arsenic detectable in an autopsy?” When the arsenic failed to kill his wife, prosecutors allege he ordered a rush shipment of cyanide, claiming it was for surgeries in his office. 

There are also reports James was having an affair with a fellow dentist and possibly two other women. Prosecutors have a home surveillance video in which Angela and James are arguing. “It’s your fault they treated me like a suicide risk, like I did it to myself, and like nothing I said could be believed,” says Angela, referring to the medical staff at the hospital. She made three trips to the hospital the month she died.

A GoFundMe has been set up to support the couple’s six children. 

Source: ABC7 News

A Pennsylvania Man Goes Free After Threatening to Kill Girlfriend—Advocates Warn of Coercion to Recant

A Summit Hill, Penn., man accused of threatening to kill his girlfriend went free after all criminal charges against him were dropped last week. Eric Trevorah, 38, was arrested in April after his girlfriend called 911 around 11:30 p.m. She told police that, after an argument with Trevorah, she had fled the residence when Trevorah told her he was going to go get his gun and shoot her. Police took Trevorah into custody at gunpoint. He was charged with terroristic threats, simple assault and harassment and jailed in lieu of a $25,000 bail.

Prosecutors may drop charges in criminal cases for various reasons, such as insufficient evidence or when the victim declines to cooperate or testify. It’s unclear why Trevorah’s charges were dropped, but advocates warn that many abusers coerce a survivor to recant their statement from behind bars. Studies found that in 80 percent of domestic violence cases that reach the court system, survivors have recanted or refused prosecution, often because of the manipulation of their abusive partners. Many abusers use gaslighting to convince the survivor that their memory of the incident is incorrect. They may then try to minimize their abuse, i.e., “I would never hurt you for real.” They may try to bring up memories of the couple, plans for their future together, or their bond over children in order to convince the survivor that there is hope for change if they can just get out of jail. 

To learn more about the 5-stage model of recantation weaponized by abusers, read “How Abusers Coerce Recantation.”

Source: tnonline.com