SAN ANTONIO \u2013 The Texas Governor\u2019s new Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force is digging into each of the top ways victims lose their lives.<\/p>\n
The 21-member group is legally mandated to address how domestic violence victims are killed and make recommendations to the state legislature. It comprises survivors, law enforcement officials, advocates, health professionals and other experts, each with unique input.<\/p>\n
KSAT reported on the new task force in February<\/a>, promising to follow through on the process at every step.<\/p>\n The first subject the task force addressed was stalking, which is rampant in abusive relationships.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone said that it can be described as homicide in slow motion, and that was one of those moments that stopped me in my tracks,\u201d said Texas Advocacy Project<\/a> CEO Heather Bellino.<\/p>\n Bellino said stalking is incredibly difficult to address because it can look different for each abuser.<\/p>\n For example, the Texas Council on Family Violence laid out an explainer<\/a> on stalking laws: \u201cReceiving flowers to a new home address might be viewed as a lovely gesture to someone who has never been stalked; however, if a survivor receives those flowers at an address they worked hard to keep secret from their abuser, the gesture becomes terrifying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat pattern might not look as frightening if you don\u2019t know what they\u2019re saying between the lines,\u201d Bellino said.<\/p>\n Technology has played a huge part in the way stalking has developed.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had so many victims come to us that say, \u2018I don\u2019t know why or how he knows where I am,\u2019\u201d Bellino said. \u201dThere could be a tracker in your car, there can be a tracker on your phone.\u201d<\/p>\n A new law that went into effect in September 2023 made the consequences of stalking harsher and expanded the types of actions that can be considered stalking.<\/p>\n The crime of stalking under Texas\u2019 Penal Code is a third-degree felony unless \u201cthe actor has previously been convicted under this section,\u201d making it a second-degree felony. That increases the maximum potential prison term for a conviction from 10 to 20 years.<\/p>\n While the new law also lowers the threshold for evidence, Bellino said it could go further, because proving stalking can be difficult and burdensome.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re being stalked, you need to keep a log of it. You need to be able to show proof. All of it is the onus on the victim,\u201d Bellino said. \u201dWe want to create easier ways for victims to be able to document the harm that they are feeling, and wouldn\u2019t it be great if we just stopped people from stalking?\u201d <\/p>\n Bellino also said that because the survivor knows the situation best, community members need to believe survivors immediately when they say they\u2019re being stalked. Early intervention is what saves lives.<\/p>\n One solution the task force came up with was an awareness campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cIt can prevent future violence from occurring,\u201d Bellino said. \u201cWe need to be able to recognize signs, we need to be able to understand for stalking that it\u2019s pattern-based abuse.\u201d<\/p>\n Bellino said the obvious but necessary solution will end up being money.<\/p>\n \u201cApply the funding and the allocation of resources,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The task force is now discussing strangulation, then will move to firearms, before putting together a report full of recommendations they will present to state legislators in late 2027.<\/p>\n Bellino said she feels real change could come from this group.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that there\u2019s a lot of promise that we can really move the needle and prevent future homicides,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ve all been in this work for quite a long time, and yet there\u2019s still the aha moments that occur where we see there\u2019s a gap in service.\u201d<\/p>\n If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic violence, there is so much help for you. KSAT has a list of resources<\/a> on its Domestic Violence webpage<\/a>, which also explains how to identify different types of abuse.<\/p>\n If it\u2019s an emergency, text or call 911. For wrap-around services, including the Battered Women and Children\u2019s Shelter, call Family Violence Prevention Services <\/a>at 210-733-8810.<\/p>\n You can also contact the Bexar County Family Justice Center<\/a>, which also provides wrap-around services at 210-631-0100.<\/p>\n