Rise in Domestic Violence Killings Spurs Call for More State Support for Victims

Professor Hayat Bearat, director of the Domestic Violence Institute, is quoted in GBH News on a new state report documenting a 20% rise in domestic violence killings in Massachusetts in 2024 — the highest number in at least five years. “The issues that we have in the Commonwealth as it relates to interventions prior to a homicide — with the court systems, with police — often fail survivors tremendously,” Bearat said.