COLUMBIA, S.C. — A new study from the University of South Carolina School of Law is shedding light on the effectiveness of protection orders for victims of domestic violence in the state.
South Carolina has been among the top 10 states with the highest rate of women murdered by men during 23 of the past 25 years, ranking number one on four occasions.
“What inspired it was the recognition that there is although domestic violence is a huge problem in our state, and it's widely known to be a huge problem, we have very little data about it,” said Associate Professor and researcher Lisa Martin.
The study, which involved analyzing paper files from across the state, revealed concerning findings about the current state of protection orders.
“Compared to other states, our order protection statute protects fewer people under fewer circumstances and offers them fewer protections,” said Martin. “So it's time to expand it”
Key findings from the study showed that out of the 3,400 protection orders filed in 2019, approximately 1,500 were granted. Most petitioners reported experiencing multiple types of abuse, and in many cases, neither party had legal representation.
“We always have to remember there are real people behind those numbers,” said Sara Barber with the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
The statewide average time from filing a case to entry of an Order of Protection was 14 days, with some protective orders being granted the same day and others being granted more than 100 days from filing.
Furthermore, there were significant disparities in the duration of protection orders across different counties.
“In some counties, Most orders are entered for a year. In some most are ordered for six months,” said Martin. “So depending upon which county you file, you may be protected for half the time as someone else would be.”
The study recommends solutions such as expanding eligibility criteria to include couples who don't live together and introducing temporary protection orders.
“We are the only state that does not have this remedy available to victims at probably the most dangerous time Because if you're requesting an order of protection you’re in danger and any delay in the issuance of that further increases that danger,” said Barber.
Barber expressed optimism about the report's impact.
“People Always ask us for data to support our policy changes and requests and so we hope the legislature will read this report, take it very seriously and Work with us to afford more protection for the people of South Carolina,” said Barber.
Martin added she’d like the state to increase data accessibility.
Martin said that this study is the first of several planned reports. Future reports will delve deeper into existing case data and other crucial aspects of domestic violence cases in South Carolina.