Protection and Justice for Domestic Violence Survivors
The Issue
THE VIOLENCE ENDED. THE CONSEQUENCES DID NOT.
Demand Lifelong Justice, Medical Protection, and Accountability for Domestic Violence Survivors
To the United States Congress and Lawmakers Across All 50 States:
What happens when a domestic violence survivor finally escapes their abuser, but the damage follows them for the rest of their life?
What happens 10, 20, or even 30 years later when that survivor is facing another surgery, another medical bill, another disability, or another painful reminder of violence they never deserved?
WHO IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE WHEN THE ABUSE ENDS, BUT THE SUFFERING DOES NOT?
My name is Sherry B. I am a domestic violence survivor and advocate.
I know firsthand that leaving an abusive relationship does not mean leaving behind the physical and emotional consequences.
More than two decades after experiencing domestic violence, I am still living with its devastating effects. I have lost an eye because of violence inflicted upon me. I have faced medical procedures, permanent changes to my life, emotional struggles, and financial burdens that did not disappear simply because the relationship ended.
I survived the abuse.
But why must I continue paying the price for someone else's violence?
And I know I am not alone.
Across America, survivors are living with permanent injuries, chronic pain, traumatic brain injuries, vision loss, hearing damage, disabilities, psychological trauma, and medical complications that may require treatment long after the original abuse occurred.
Some survivors can no longer work. Some require lifelong medical care. Some face additional surgeries decades later. Others struggle to afford treatment for injuries they never chose to suffer.
And many are left wondering where the justice is.
We Are Calling for the Domestic Violence Lifelong Survivor Protection Act
We, the undersigned, urge Congress and state lawmakers to introduce and strengthen legislation that addresses the lifelong consequences of domestic violence.
We demand action in seven critical areas:
1. Stronger penalties for serious and repeat domestic violence offenders.
Violence resulting in permanent disability, severe bodily injury, disfigurement, or repeated abuse deserves penalties that reflect the seriousness of the crime and its lasting consequences, while preserving due process.
2. Legal recognition of delayed and lifelong injuries.
A survivor should have meaningful legal options when medically documented injuries caused by domestic violence require additional surgeries or treatment years or decades later.
3. Long-term medical assistance for survivors.
Expand access to financial support for future surgeries, prosthetic eyes and limbs, rehabilitation, trauma counseling, medications, disability-related needs, and other necessary care resulting from documented abuse.
4. Greater financial accountability for offenders.
Strengthen restitution and civil remedies so offenders can be held financially responsible, where legally appropriate, for medical expenses, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and long-term consequences of their violence.
5. Fairer statutes of limitations and compensation deadlines.
Review legal deadlines that may prevent survivors from seeking remedies when serious injuries or their consequences become apparent many years after the violence.
6. Better law enforcement response and survivor protection.
Require effective trauma-informed training and accountability so victims are treated with dignity, evidence is thoroughly investigated, and survivors are not unfairly blamed for the violence committed against them.
7. Recognition and support for survivors living with permanent disabilities.
Ensure that survivors whose injuries cause lifelong disabilities are not forgotten once the criminal case is closed or the abusive relationship has ended.
This Is Not About Revenge. This Is About Justice.
Imagine finally escaping the person who hurt you.
You rebuild your life. You learn to smile again. You find your voice. You begin believing that you are safe.
Then, decades later, you are lying in another hospital bed because of injuries caused by that same violence.
The relationship is over.
The abuser may have moved on.
But you are still enduring surgeries, pain, medical expenses, fear, and permanent changes to your body.
Why should the survivor receive a lifetime of consequences while accountability for the abuser may last only a fraction of that time?
Our current laws and victim assistance programs provide important protections, but gaps remain. Survivors can encounter limits on compensation, treatment coverage, restitution, and legal remedies for injuries that continue or emerge later.
We are asking lawmakers to close those gaps.
We Are More Than Statistics
We are mothers. Fathers. Grandparents. Sons. Daughters. Friends. Neighbors. Nurses. Teachers. Workers. People who once trusted someone who chose to hurt us.
Some of us carry scars the world can see.
Others carry wounds that no one will ever notice.
Some of us smile every day while quietly enduring pain that began years ago.
Our ability to smile does not mean the damage disappeared. Our survival does not mean justice has been served.
Our Message to the United States Government
We are asking Congress to hear the voices of survivors, hold legislative hearings, strengthen existing laws, and create meaningful protections for those who continue to suffer the consequences of domestic violence long after escaping.
We ask state legislatures to work toward consistent, accessible protections so a survivor's opportunity for support does not depend entirely on where they live.
We ask policymakers to include survivors, medical professionals, disability advocates, legal experts, and domestic violence organizations in developing these reforms.
We survived the violence. We should not have to spend the rest of our lives fighting alone to survive its consequences.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but domestic violence does not follow a calendar.
The surgeries don't stop because October ends.
The medical bills don't stop.
The disabilities don't disappear.
The trauma doesn't vanish.
And neither should our voices.
PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THIS PETITION
You do not have to be a survivor to stand with one
You may be a family member, a friend, a healthcare professional, a law enforcement officer, or simply someone who believes that no human being deserves abuse.
Your signature is a call for meaningful legislative action.
We are not asking for sympathy. We are demanding that survivors' lifelong needs be recognized and addressed.
Let this be the generation that refuses to forget survivors once they escape.
Let this be the movement that reminds our government that the consequences of domestic violence can last a lifetime.
THE VIOLENCE ENDED. THE CONSEQUENCES DID NOT.
JUSTICE SHOULD NOT EXPIRE WHILE THE PAIN CONTINUES.
With determination, faith, and purpose,
Sherry B
Domestic Violence Survivor & Advocate
Founder of this Petition
NO MORE SILENCE. NO MORE FORGOTTEN SURVIVORS.
One voice can begin a movement. Together, we can demand change.
35
The Issue
THE VIOLENCE ENDED. THE CONSEQUENCES DID NOT.
Demand Lifelong Justice, Medical Protection, and Accountability for Domestic Violence Survivors
To the United States Congress and Lawmakers Across All 50 States:
What happens when a domestic violence survivor finally escapes their abuser, but the damage follows them for the rest of their life?
What happens 10, 20, or even 30 years later when that survivor is facing another surgery, another medical bill, another disability, or another painful reminder of violence they never deserved?
WHO IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE WHEN THE ABUSE ENDS, BUT THE SUFFERING DOES NOT?
My name is Sherry B. I am a domestic violence survivor and advocate.
I know firsthand that leaving an abusive relationship does not mean leaving behind the physical and emotional consequences.
More than two decades after experiencing domestic violence, I am still living with its devastating effects. I have lost an eye because of violence inflicted upon me. I have faced medical procedures, permanent changes to my life, emotional struggles, and financial burdens that did not disappear simply because the relationship ended.
I survived the abuse.
But why must I continue paying the price for someone else's violence?
And I know I am not alone.
Across America, survivors are living with permanent injuries, chronic pain, traumatic brain injuries, vision loss, hearing damage, disabilities, psychological trauma, and medical complications that may require treatment long after the original abuse occurred.
Some survivors can no longer work. Some require lifelong medical care. Some face additional surgeries decades later. Others struggle to afford treatment for injuries they never chose to suffer.
And many are left wondering where the justice is.
We Are Calling for the Domestic Violence Lifelong Survivor Protection Act
We, the undersigned, urge Congress and state lawmakers to introduce and strengthen legislation that addresses the lifelong consequences of domestic violence.
We demand action in seven critical areas:
1. Stronger penalties for serious and repeat domestic violence offenders.
Violence resulting in permanent disability, severe bodily injury, disfigurement, or repeated abuse deserves penalties that reflect the seriousness of the crime and its lasting consequences, while preserving due process.
2. Legal recognition of delayed and lifelong injuries.
A survivor should have meaningful legal options when medically documented injuries caused by domestic violence require additional surgeries or treatment years or decades later.
3. Long-term medical assistance for survivors.
Expand access to financial support for future surgeries, prosthetic eyes and limbs, rehabilitation, trauma counseling, medications, disability-related needs, and other necessary care resulting from documented abuse.
4. Greater financial accountability for offenders.
Strengthen restitution and civil remedies so offenders can be held financially responsible, where legally appropriate, for medical expenses, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and long-term consequences of their violence.
5. Fairer statutes of limitations and compensation deadlines.
Review legal deadlines that may prevent survivors from seeking remedies when serious injuries or their consequences become apparent many years after the violence.
6. Better law enforcement response and survivor protection.
Require effective trauma-informed training and accountability so victims are treated with dignity, evidence is thoroughly investigated, and survivors are not unfairly blamed for the violence committed against them.
7. Recognition and support for survivors living with permanent disabilities.
Ensure that survivors whose injuries cause lifelong disabilities are not forgotten once the criminal case is closed or the abusive relationship has ended.
This Is Not About Revenge. This Is About Justice.
Imagine finally escaping the person who hurt you.
You rebuild your life. You learn to smile again. You find your voice. You begin believing that you are safe.
Then, decades later, you are lying in another hospital bed because of injuries caused by that same violence.
The relationship is over.
The abuser may have moved on.
But you are still enduring surgeries, pain, medical expenses, fear, and permanent changes to your body.
Why should the survivor receive a lifetime of consequences while accountability for the abuser may last only a fraction of that time?
Our current laws and victim assistance programs provide important protections, but gaps remain. Survivors can encounter limits on compensation, treatment coverage, restitution, and legal remedies for injuries that continue or emerge later.
We are asking lawmakers to close those gaps.
We Are More Than Statistics
We are mothers. Fathers. Grandparents. Sons. Daughters. Friends. Neighbors. Nurses. Teachers. Workers. People who once trusted someone who chose to hurt us.
Some of us carry scars the world can see.
Others carry wounds that no one will ever notice.
Some of us smile every day while quietly enduring pain that began years ago.
Our ability to smile does not mean the damage disappeared. Our survival does not mean justice has been served.
Our Message to the United States Government
We are asking Congress to hear the voices of survivors, hold legislative hearings, strengthen existing laws, and create meaningful protections for those who continue to suffer the consequences of domestic violence long after escaping.
We ask state legislatures to work toward consistent, accessible protections so a survivor's opportunity for support does not depend entirely on where they live.
We ask policymakers to include survivors, medical professionals, disability advocates, legal experts, and domestic violence organizations in developing these reforms.
We survived the violence. We should not have to spend the rest of our lives fighting alone to survive its consequences.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but domestic violence does not follow a calendar.
The surgeries don't stop because October ends.
The medical bills don't stop.
The disabilities don't disappear.
The trauma doesn't vanish.
And neither should our voices.
PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THIS PETITION
You do not have to be a survivor to stand with one
You may be a family member, a friend, a healthcare professional, a law enforcement officer, or simply someone who believes that no human being deserves abuse.
Your signature is a call for meaningful legislative action.
We are not asking for sympathy. We are demanding that survivors' lifelong needs be recognized and addressed.
Let this be the generation that refuses to forget survivors once they escape.
Let this be the movement that reminds our government that the consequences of domestic violence can last a lifetime.
THE VIOLENCE ENDED. THE CONSEQUENCES DID NOT.
JUSTICE SHOULD NOT EXPIRE WHILE THE PAIN CONTINUES.
With determination, faith, and purpose,
Sherry B
Domestic Violence Survivor & Advocate
Founder of this Petition
NO MORE SILENCE. NO MORE FORGOTTEN SURVIVORS.
One voice can begin a movement. Together, we can demand change.
Petition Updates
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Petition created on October 30, 2026