UM’s Dante Williams Facing Domestic Violence Battery Charges: DV Can Happen To Anyone

If you are or have ever been roughed up by a partner, you should know that domestic violence is not limited to any particular race, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or social status. As the recent arrest of Dante Williams demonstrates, even those in the limelight can be involved in domestic violence.

Williams’ Arrest

According to court records, Williams is facing three counts of aggravated battery.  His victim was 31 weeks into a pregnancy of which Williams is the father. It seems the couple, who lived together, had argued until Williams insisted she be packed up and moved out by the time he returned from football practice. When he returned to find that she was still packing, he allegedly grabbed her by her hair and threw her both onto their bed, and later onto the ground outside their dwelling.  Paramedics noted bruises on her neck and arms, along with broken fingernails. The 198 pound assailant was arrested and jailed until bond.  He was then ordered by the court to stay clear of the victim.

Victims of Domestic Violence

To be sure, domestic violence can occur anywhere, and involve anybody.  The statistics are clear: there are no social, age, or other boundaries that protect one from this devastating reality:

• About one-third of women and one-fourth of men in this country will suffer physical assaults, rape, or stalking involving an intimate partner at some point in their lives;
• Ten percent of high schoolers endured a physical encounter from a romantic partner last year;
• Nearly half of women and men across the nation report having experiencing psychological aggression at some point in their lives from an intimate partner;
• The highest rates of violence among partners involves women aged 18-34;
• 28 percent of males who were raped by intimate partners were also raped by age 10 or younger;
• Four in ten college-aged women report abusive dating behaviors including verbal, digital, sexual, and physical violence;
• Sexual coercion is five times more likely to occur following digital harassment than otherwise;
• Transgender individuals are more likely to experience domestic violence in public than other individuals;
• Only about a quarter of men in same-sex relationships who experience near-death violence call for police assistance.

Underreporting of Domestic Violence

According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, the majority of domestic violence in this country is never reported. Experts say this is often because the violence occurs between people who are in intimate relationships.  Victims often love and trust their abusers, and want to believe that their experience is a one-time event, something they are at least partially responsible for, or something that really wasn’t so bad.  Statistics show, however, that violence typically escalates when not properly addressed.

You Deserve Safety

If your physical, mental or emotional health is in jeopardy due to domestic violence, please believe that you deserve better.  At the Law Office of Julia Kefalinos, our Miami domestic violence attorneys can help to secure a protective order and point you toward the resources you need.  Contact our office for a confidential consultation today.

Resources:

ncadv.org/blog/posts/domestic-violence-and-the-lgbtq-community

miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article252881058.html