Susan Rubio’s response

My condolences to the friends and family of Amie Harwick. As a domestic violence survivor, I understand the challenges victims experience -- our laws are designed to protect the abusers more than the victims. As one of Amie's friends said, victims are often let down by our system.

Many people don't understand the legal barriers to getting a restraining order. As Congressman Adam Schiff said in his statement, protective orders need to be easier to obtain and renew.

In my case, a judge recently extended a restraining order against my abuser for five years. Four days later, he violated it by coming to my office building. But unfortunately, he got away with just a warning. In this case, unless he kills me, there's nothing more law enforcement can do. That's why I stand with victims.

I want to say to all survivors, your voices are being heard in Sacramento. This is why I advocated last year to give survivors more time to seek justice, and this year, I'm working on expanding domestic violence protections. We need to craft our laws based on how domestic violence is practiced in reality.

Let's not forget Amie and the countless others who are victims of domestic violence. I will continue to push for victims' rights. Let's do this together.