Criminal Charges / Crimes

Since I cannot provide you with legal advice, I cannot tell you specifically how the police in your county/state would react to a report from a third party. I don’t know if they would investigate it just based on your complaint or if they would tell you that they need the victim to report it in order for them to investigate - or if they may tell you something else.

I can’t speak about your state in particular but it may be possible that if the police investigate a report of a crime being committed against a third party, they may interview the person reporting the abuse, the victim, and the offender. If the police believe there is probable cause to arrest, perhaps it can possibly lead to an arrest and criminal charges being pressed. If they do not arrest the person (or even if there is an arrest), in some situations, this may put a victim in greater danger. If the victim would be unwilling to testify, for example, it might be difficult for the authorities to build a case against the abuser anyway. Also, in some cases, the abuser might not be kept in jail for very long if s/he is picked up by the police, and unless the victim has a safety plan in place, s/he may be in danger once the abuser is released.

Sometimes if a victim does not report the abuser him/herself to the police, it may mean that reporting to the police is not something that the victim is ready to do or perhaps the victim believes that such a report may even place the victim in further danger with the abuser. However, getting help from the authorities might also help get a victim to safety.

If someone decides to report his/her concerns to the police, this may be something important for the victim to know so that s/he can make plans for his/her safety. Another option may be to instead choose to speak with the victim before reporting the abuse find out if s/he wants to do so and to offer other support.

If you want to speak to your [FILL IN - FRIEND, SISTER, ETC] about the abuse, and let her know that you are concerned for her safety, our website has a page with tips for friends and family of abuse victims that may be useful.

If someone is not ready to end an abusive relationship, reporting the abuse may wind up alienating the victim from the person who reported it. I’m not a professional counselor, and I do not know the full details of the situation, so I can’t tell you what will be best. However, a local domestic violence organization may have an advocate that you can meet with to discuss your concerns. Most domestic violence organizations offer victims of domestic violence emergency shelter, but they may also offer other services as well. They may be able to offer her counseling, individual safety planning sessions, information on resources specific to her community, and help navigating the legal and social services systems.

A local organization may also be able to help your [fill in] with safety planning. Safety planning is thinking of what to do to stay as safe as possible. We have some tips to get started at “Safety Tips,” but an advocate at a local domestic violence organization can help your [fill in] design a personalized plan. You can find an advocate on our website.

[IF APPROPRIATE, INCLUDE ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES/INFORMATION:
Another resource on our website that can be helpful if someone doesn’t believe that his/her partner is abusive is our “Am I being abused?” checklist, which points out other signs of abuse aside from physical abuse.

If she decides that she is ready to take action, here are some more resources on our website that may be helpful to her. A restraining order can order an abuser to move out, to stay away from the victim, to not contact him/her, and to not hurt him/her. We have information about restraining orders in STATE on our website.