Home Violence Killings Highest Among Latinos

Salt Lake Tribune Irene Jensen, of West Valley City, is Latina, educated, bilingual — and a survivor of domestic violence.

As a survivor, she may be the exception.

Between 2000 and 2002, more than a third of the 53 Utahns killed during domestic altercations were Latinos. The number is disproportionate for an ethnic group that accounted for just 8.2 percent of the statewide population, according to a report released Thursday by the Utah Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee.

“When it comes to Hispanic women . . . they’re smart, but they’re not educated in domestic violence,” said Jensen, 51, whose ex-husband was convicted of felony spousal abuse in California after beating and stalking her. “They don’t know where to go and they’re lacking the funds to get out.”

While the committee says domestic violence homicide rate for white, non-Latinos in Utah was 24.4 per 1 million adults, the rate for Latinos was more than four times higher: 113.5 per 1 million adults.

Some 64.9 Latinos per 1 million adults were convicted in domestic violence killings — three times higher than the rate for whites at 22.9 per 1 million adults.

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