LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Domestic violence advocates and survivors are pushing for change with two bills introduced at the Nevada Legislature this week.
“I was attacked several times,” Brandi Sevilla recalled.
Sevilla bravely shared her story of survival with 8 News Now Friday.
“Paintings being slashed, holes punched in the wall,” she said. “TVs broken and glasses shattered, it was horrible.”
She escaped a violent relationship and has spent years rebuilding her life after unimaginable trauma.
“I think there’s a good majority of us out there that think, ‘Oh if we love them, if we love them we can fix them,”‘ Sevilla said. “And it doesn’t work that way.”
Nevada ranks second in the country for rates of domestic violence according to Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence.
FBI statistics show the state also ranks third for men murdering women, with 80% of cases happening in Clark County and Las Vegas.
This week, advocates pushed for change by introducing two bill proposals at the Nevada Legislature.
“We cannot continue to deny that we are failing our women,” SafeNest CEO Liz Ortenburger said.
Ortenburger was referencing Assembly Bill 216. It would require police officers to conduct an assessment and complete a questionnaire evaluating the level of danger to the domestic violence victim based on their answers.
Another bill introduced to Assemblymembers was AB 162 or ‘Alessandra’s Law,’ named for Alessandra Barlas, who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in California in 2015.
“Passing this bill would provide greater transparency,” Michelle Afshar of the Alessandra Foundation said, speaking to lawmakers. “Potentially preventing other families from losing someone.”
It would create a searchable database, similar to a sex offender registry, to see if someone has prior domestic violence convictions.
It’s modeled after a similar registry in Texas. To be listed, a person would have to have at least two prior misdemeanor convictions over seven years.
“I can’t say with certainty that an online conviction would have prevented her murder,” Afshar said. “But I do know it would have given us vital knowledge.”
Sevilla called both proposals a step in the right direction, but she told 8 News Now she also believes court reform is necessary.
“They really need to come down on these men and women,” Sevilla said. “Who are hurting their partners.”
She hopes anyone struggling knows they are not alone.
“You’ve got to keep on fighting,” Sevilla concluded. “And not give up.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling with domestic violence, reach out to the following organizations:
- SafeNest: 702-646-4981
- Shade Tree: 855-385-0072
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-SAFE(7233)
