U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announces more than $2 million to help address violence against women in the Northern District of Ohio

U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman announced today that the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) has awarded more than $2.3 million to Northern Ohio organizations to help reduce violence against women and to strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

“Every dollar that the Department of Justice provides to address domestic violence in Northern Ohio has a positive impact on the lives of victims and survivors,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman. “These organizations have a strong program in place to address crucial needs or expand services.”

The award breakdown is as follows:

Cuyahoga County, Improving Criminal Justice Responses Program – $824,800 

The Improving Criminal Justice Response Program encourages state, local, and tribal governments and state, local, and tribal courts to treat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking as serious violations of criminal law requiring the coordinated involvement of the entire criminal justice system.

Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, Children and Youth Program – $497,873

The Grants to Prevent and Respond to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Against Children and Youth Program supports projects that develop, expand, and strengthen prevention, intervention, and response strategies that target children and youth who are victims of and/or exposed to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including support for the non-abusing parents, caretakers, and legal guardians.

Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, Enhanced Training and Services to End Abuse in Later Life Program – $399,991

The Enhanced Training and Services to End Abuse in Later Life Program’s purpose is to increase and strengthen training for police, prosecutors, and the judiciary in recognizing, investigating, and prosecuting instances of abuse, neglect, exploitation, domestic violence, and sexual assault against older individuals; provide or enhance services for older victims; create

or support multidisciplinary collaborative community responses to older victims; and conduct cross-training for victim service organizations, governmental agencies, courts, law enforcement, and nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations serving older victims.

The University of Toledo, Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program - $299,999

Heidelberg University, Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program - $299,946

These programs provide a unique opportunity for institutions of higher education to establish multidisciplinary approaches to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campuses. These comprehensive efforts are designed to enhance victim services, implement prevention and education programs, and develop and strengthen security and investigation strategies in order to prevent, prosecute, and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

“For domestic violence victims, the added stressors of the pandemic can make a dangerous situation even worse,” said OVW Principal Deputy Director Laura Rogers. “Our grants in Ohio are a timely contribution to approaches already underway to keep victims safe and hold offenders accountable for their crimes.”

For more information on the Office of Violence Against Women, visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw