Looking at the statistics in New Jersey, there was a 7 percent decrease in domestic abuse offenses reported in 2012. However, the number of calls is still a staggering amount – the police responded to 65,050 calls of domestic abuse. Of these offenses, 75 percent of the victims involved a female. Unfortunately, children have been involved in these cases – 29 percent of all domestic violence offenses in 2012 had a child either involved or present.
The laws in New Jersey are quite straightforward when it comes to domestic abuse. According to the law, domestic violence is defined as an occurrence of one or more of the following offenses:
- Homicide
- Assault
- Terroristic threats
- Kidnapping
- Criminal restraint
- False imprisonment
- Sexual assault
- Criminal sexual contact
- Lewdness
- Criminal mischief
- Burglary
- Criminal trespass
- Harassment
- Stalking
The police are required to arrest a suspect for domestic violence if a victim either shows or claims that injury has occurred. The police may also arrest a person if there is probable cause that an act of domestic violence has been committed, even if the victim doesn’t claim an injury. In addition, the police may determine if an emergency temporary restraining order is necessary to protect the victim from any further acts of violence.
If you’ve been a victim of domestic abuse, there is help available. Click here to contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline. If you are in need of legal assistance, we can help. Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone today for a free consultation.