'Tragic': Oklahoma domestic violence deaths on the rise, says AG Drummond's office

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond's office examined on the Wednesday the spike in domestic violence homicides in Oklahoma confirming an alarming rise.

Drummond's Office explained, the state in 2023 had most domestic violence homicides on record citing a annual report published by the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board.

Domestic homicide numbers rose 16% from the previous year with a total of 122 victims in 2023, according to the latest release from the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board.
The board noted, Oklahoma averaged 115 domestic violence homicide victims annually between 2019 and 2023 saying additionally the numbers are up from an average of 90 between 2014 and 2018.

AG Drummond says, the focus continues in strengthening efforts statewide in holding abusers accountable while providing protection and support for victims.

“Tragically, domestic violence deaths have been on the rise in Oklahoma, especially across the last five years. We must continue strengthening our statewide efforts to hold abusers accountable and to provide protection and support for victims in order to turn the page on this epidemic.”

Attorney General Gentner Drummond

According to the AG's Office, the board makes recommendations to the state Legislature annually in improving preventive measures and protection systems in the state of Oklahoma.

This year’s recommendations include:

• Establishing a fund for a statewide program focused on providing direct trauma-informed services to children, adolescents and their caregivers who have been impacted by family violence-related homicide and near-fatal intimate partner violence
• Enacting a domestic violence-specific hearsay exception to bolster evidence-based prosecution
• Strengthening areas of state Victim Protection Order laws
• Amending state statutes to eliminate discrepancies related to domestic violence crimes

The board is recommending $850,000 to fund the program to Legislature seeking to provide support for children exposed to family violence-related homicide and near-fatal intimate partner violence.

Read the full report.