Criminal Domestic Violence in South Carolina

More than 36,000 victims annually report a domestic violence incident to law enforcement agencies around the state. Over the past thirteen years, an average of thirty-three (33) women have been killed each year by their intimate partner.

Domestic violence has become a crisis in the Palmetto State. The Office of the Attorney General has designed two programs to drastically reduce the incidences of this pervasive crime: the S.T.O.P. Violence Against Women Program and the Pro Bono Program. Please click on the programs’ related links for more information.

General Information

• Criminal Domestic Violence Dedicated Prosecutors
• Domestic Violence Shelters and Organizations
• Speaker Request Form
• Report a 2011 Domestic Violence Homicide

Training Information

Join the Office of the Attorney General for a free, one-day training on criminal domestic violence and related topics. Trainings are geared for law enforcement officers, judges, attorneys and victim advocates. All trainings are approved for CLE, JCLE, CLEE, OVSEC, and Non-Social Work Hours.

Training Sessions

• Stalking – This training is full.
  February 22
  Midlands Technical College – Harbison Campus
  Agenda
  Stalking handouts
  
• Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Criminal Sexual Conduct and the Law – This training is full.
  March 13
  Converse College
  Agenda
• Domestic Violence and the Law
  April 17
  SC Department of Juvenile Justice
  Agenda
  Registration
• Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Criminal Sexual Conduct and the Law
  August 8
  Charleston Southern University
  Agenda
  Registration

 

Silent Witness

Currently South Carolina ranks seventh in the nation for the amount of homicides caused by criminal domestic violence. Each year in October, the Attorney General hosts a Silent Witness ceremony to honor the victims from the preceding year. During this ceremony, wooden silhouettes represent the women and men who have died due to domestic violence in South Carolina during the previous year. Attorney General Alan Wilson will read the name of each victim and the circumstances of their death. As each name is read, volunteers or family members of the victim carry the silhouette and take a place on the State House steps. The event is open to the public. For more information about Silent Witness, or to find out how you can be a volunteer, please contact the Violence Against Women Department at (803) 734-3717.

2011 Silent Witness Story

Contact Information

S.T.O.P. Violence Against Women and Pro Bono Program
803-734-3717