President Obama on Wednesday announced a federal effort to curb domestic violence and help women who have been victims of abuse, reports United Press International. Federal housing officials released new rules to prevent victims from getting evicted or denied housing assistance, and the Justice Department released new tools for judges, advocates and law enforcement to use “to help ensure that protective orders are issued and enforced.” Obama spoke at a White House event to note Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“As you all know, domestic violence was for far too long seen as a lesser offense,” Obama said. “Victims were often just sent home from the hospital without intervention; children were left to suffer in silence. And as a consequence, abuse could go on for years. In many cases, this violence would only end with the death of a woman or a child.().The bottom line is this: Nobody in America should live in fear because they are unsafe in their own home.”