New Florida laws increase penalties for repeat domestic violence offenders, study online reporting portal for victims

Several new Florida laws designed to strengthen protections for domestic violence survivors took effect this month, including tougher penalties for repeat offenders, expanded relocation assistance and a study examining a new way for victims to discreetly seek help.

For Yasira Tejada, the changes represent meaningful progress after escaping an abusive relationship nine years ago.

"There were times where no one understood my situation. No one understood why I stayed. They would judge me for staying," Tejada said.

Today, Tejada is studying health care in college with the goal of working for an organization that supports domestic violence survivors.

"It's more than a job. It's a mission for me," she said.

One of the new Florida laws increases criminal penalties for repeat domestic violence-related offenses.

For example, stalking a spouse is generally charged as a misdemeanor for a first offense. Under the new law, a subsequent stalking offense against the same spouse can be elevated to a felony, increasing the potential punishment for repeat offenders.

"A lot of perpetrators, a lot of offenders commit this crime because they think they can get away with it," Tejada said.

A second new law directs the state to study whether Florida should create a secure, web-based 911 reporting portal for domestic violence victims. The study will examine whether the system could allow survivors to discreetly communicate with law enforcement using pre-established codes or phrases when making a phone call is not safe.

"There's never enough. We can always have more avenues to report, especially with the advent of technology," said Dr. Joanette Brookes-George, a criminologist.

Brookes-George also works with Unmute Yourself, an organization that supports survivors of domestic violence. She said tougher penalties add another layer of accountability but are not a complete solution because they do not address the root causes of abuse.

"I think it will deter repeat offenses. I don't know if it will stop the initial offense," Brookes-George said.

The new laws also increase the amount of relocation assistance available to survivors leaving abusive situations.

The study on the proposed web-based reporting portal must be completed by the end of January.