Houston – Domestic violence is the second most filed crime in Harris County, according to the District Attorney’s office. Now, a new domestic violence bureau within the office hopes to prioritize the issue and intervene in the cycle of violence.
Recommended Videos
KPRC spoke to Mary McFaden, a longtime prosecutor and the chief of the new domestic violence bureau.
“Domestic violence is an epidemic across our county,” said McFaden. “Having our own bureau within the Harris County District Attorney’s Office allows us really to focus on these very unique and difficult crimes.”
McFaden said this bureau was created when DA Sean Tearre came into office. Domestic violence was an issue Sean Tearre had heavily campaigned on. “This idea that though we do seek accountability, we’re also highly focused on the safety of each individual survivor," said McFaden.
There are between 14,000 to 17,000 domestic violence cases filed in Harris County each year, according to McFaden. Before the new bureau, domestic violence cases were overseen by the Special Crimes Bureau along with other crimes like child abuse, child sex abuse, and adult sex crimes.
“Domestic violence is misdemeanor level offenses all the way up to felony level and capital murder," said McFaden. “It allows our community to look at these cases to make sure we get out of our silos and connect with community providers and services and provide safety measures from start to end of a criminal case."
Currently, there are about two dozen prosecutors in the Domestic Violence Bureau.
McFaden said often times once a case ends, the connection with the victim ends as well. She said this new bureau allows the office to ensure there are nuanced services even after a case ends.
One of the community partners the office works with is Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. “They’re able to keep up with that complainant to provide kind of minute to minute needs,” said McFaden.
How domestic violence could turn deadly
Earlier this month, the Houston Police Department said 32-year-old Kristin Chavez was brutally killed by her husband, Chance Chavez. Police allege Chance hit his wife repeatedly with a clothing iron.
KPRC spoke to Chavez' family earlier this month. b“It feels like a nightmare,” said Kristin’s brother Devin Cervantes. “My sister was my best friend.”
Kristin was found dead in a gated community on Emma Forest Street in Northwest Houston.
Stopping the cycle
McFaden described domestic violence as a crime that can turn from a misdemeanor to a homicide in minutes. The hope within the office is to stop a domestic violence case before it escalates into a tragedy.
One of the resources available at the DA’s office is free representation for those who want to file a civil protection order. If granted by a judge, the order can last anywhere from two years to a lifetime.
“You don’t have to have a police report. You don’t have to have a pending criminal case. It is truly a civil case that’s filed free of cost on the behalf of the survivor,” said McFaden.
The legal status of the victim is not asked, according to McFaden.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 and is 800-799-7233.
