Yet we must increase awareness of this frightening crime, which desperately needs priority attention from our medical and legal communities. A recent Hawaii Crime Brief issued by the attorney general found that nearly 30 percent of all homicides in Hawaii during a 10-year period were the result of domestic violence. Nationwide, it is half that or 15 percent. The Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women once estimated that nearly 50,000 women in Hawaii between 18 and 64 had been victims of domestic violence. I don't have to explain the title.
Local statistics can do that.
The state Department of Health reported that, from 1989-94, almost 100 women were killed by men in Hawaii. Most of the killers were partners, boyfriends, husbands or acquaintances. However, only one in 20 battered women who seek medical care are identified as domestic violence victims. Also, only a small percentage of abuse situations are reported. By the time an arrest is finally made, the abuse prob-ably has been going on for years.