Domestic Silence series

A Columbus Dispatch investigation of domestic violence by Stephanie Czekalinski, Jill Riepenhoff and Mike Wagner shows flaws in Ohio laws and policies that create a culture of tolerance and indifference about the top crime in the state. Among the findings in the four-day series are that animals receive more protections than people, restraining orders for victims of domestic violence are flimsy protection at best, and the legal system allows repeat offenders to walk away from charges with little, if any, punishment, despite long histories of battering. Other members of the Dispatch Printing Company also produced stories on the topic this week including WBNS 10 TV, Ohio News Network, ThisWeek community newspapers, and Fronteras de la Noticia, a Spanish-language weekly.