Does Repeating a Lie 1,000 Times Make it the Truth?
Need to Remove $40M ‘Pork’ for Transitional Housing
Coalition to End Domestic Violence
December 23, 2020
On March 23, the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence issued an Alert with this startling coronavirus claim: “Survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault are facing extreme danger and risk.”
Even though the Alert did not provide any evidence to support its claim, the CARES Act, signed into law just four days later, included $45 million for transitional housing for domestic violence victims.
But the predicted abuse catastrophe never happened. Four separate studies concluded that overall, there was no increase in domestic violence, and some cities saw a significant decrease:
- The National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice concluded, based on reports from 13 cities, “No significant change in domestic violence over the previous year.”[1]
- The Marshall Project found declines in domestic violence cases in Chicago, IL, Austin, TX, and Chandler, AZ, ranging from 13% to 23%.[2]
- The Coalition to End Domestic Violence compiled police reports from 33 police departments around the country, which revealed steady numbers of domestic violence calls in 19 departments, small increases in three departments, and decreases in 11 jurisdictions.[3]
- The Major Cities Chiefs Association reported a 16% decline in rapes in large cities during the first 9 months of 2020, compared to 2019.[4]
Despite these reports, countless media accounts continued to promote the COVID-abuse myth, sounding the constant alarm of an imminent “spike” in domestic violence and sexual assault. Even lawmakers were fooled by the hoax.[5]
The credibility of the claims was cast into further doubt because they never mentioned the existence of the 4.2 million male abuse victims, compared to 3.5 million female victims, each year (based on CDC numbers).
The bill that was approved by Congress on Monday included $40 million for transitional housing (page 168).
Commentator Corrine Barraclough reveals, “The myth that domestic violence is surging in lockdown will become one of the biggest lies the gendered narrative leans on for additional funding.”[6]
We can’t allow this pernicious lie to continue. Congress needs to remove the $40 million for this wasteful domestic violence program.
Citations:
[1]https://cdn.ymaws.com/counciloncj.org/resource/collection/D26974EF-0F75-4BDE-ADE7-86DA0741DC49/Impact_Report_-_Crime.pdf
[2] https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/04/22/is-domestic-violence-rising-during-the-coronavirus-shutdown-here-s-what-the-data-shows
[3] http://endtodv.org/pr/lawmakers-should-not-be-fooled-by-bogus-claims-of-a-domestic-violence-surge/
[4]https://www.majorcitieschiefs.com/pdf/news/mcca_violent_crime_report_2020_and_2019_jan1tosept30.pdf
[5]https://axne.house.gov/sites/axne.house.gov/files/Axne%20Ernst%20DV%20Funding%20Letter%206.4.20.pdf
[6]https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=corrine%20barraclough&epa=SEARCH_BOX