Pandemic 'opened up everybody's eyes' to possibility of filing protection orders online
While a lot was impacted negatively by the COVID-19 pandemic, it ultimately sparked a positive change for some people in situations of domestic violence.
Soon, people will be able to file an ex parte order of protection at any time via the internet in Greene County. The temporary order of protection is meant to protect victims of domestic abuse, stalking, harassment or sexual assault by preventing the abuser from communicating with the victim or entering the home, school or place of work of the victim.
The online portal has been under consideration for a while, but when the pandemic moved many government operations online, "it really opened up everybody’s eyes as to how technology might be better utilized in these petitions," according to Brandi Bartel, executive director of the Victim Center.
"I understand it’s currently being built right now and they’re hoping to pilot it soon," Bartel said. "But we’re really encouraged and excited at the Victim Center that this process will finally be in place after a while of discussion and planning, and we’re all anxiously awaiting in anticipation for this new system to be available to the public."
Until then, people can file ex parte protection orders during business hours — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday — at the Greene County Circuit Clerk's Office, which is on the second floor of the County Judicial Courts Facility, 1010 N. Boonville Ave.
To file a petition after hours, on weekends and holidays, people can call the deputy clerk at 417-407-0358. Weekdays, people can call from 5 to 8 p.m., and on weekends and holidays, they can call from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Previously, those wanting to file a petition after hours had to go to the jail.
"The pitfall of that procedure was that victims had to turn in the paperwork at the jail. And you know, the problem with that is sometimes they just don’t feel safe leaving a situation and going outside to file," Bartel said. "Maybe the offender is following them, stalking them, so they’re very afraid to go anywhere. There are times when it was just hard with having children — they might have to bring their children in the middle of the night to downtown Springfield."
While an ex parte order of protection is one way for victims of domestic violence to stay safe, Bartel emphasized that it may not be suitable for everyone. And even if it is, she encourages people to work with advocates to have additional safety measures in place.
"The process of applying has to go hand-in-hand with safety planning, making sure the victim understands their rights, understands all of the ins and outs of this process after they file — they usually have to go to court, for example and face the offender. Those are really dangerous situations sometimes for victims," Bartel said.
The Victim Center and Harmony House share a 24/7 hotline, 417-864-7233 (SAFE), where victims of abuse can call for guidance and help.
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Domestic violence in Springfield
Compared to the state of Missouri, Springfield has more domestic violence incidents. In 2021, the state had 595.8 incidents per 100,000 people, whereas Springfield saw more than double that rate at 1,495.2 incidents per 100,000 people.
While the numbers of domestic violence incidents dropped during the pandemic, so did the number of people who were able to seek help.
"We definitely saw a decrease in our numbers in 2020: Our hotline calls went down, the number of folks who came to our shelter went down," said Kristen Snell, community outreach director at Harmony House. "That was probably largely due to the stay-at-home orders. When you’re basically trapped in the home with the abusive partner, there isn’t an opportunity for that privacy to make the call to law enforcement or to a hotline for escape."
The increase in homicides over the last two years are of particular concern to Bartel.
"There is a direct correlation between domestic violence and some of these homicides that are related to violence in the home, because it was perhaps a husband and wife or other intimate partner situation and is directly caused by domestic violence," Bartel said. "Although domestic violence rates as a whole are very concerning, it is alarming for those of us in the victim services field to see how some of these cases are becoming more dangerous and acute in terms of their risk for death."
While Bartel can't pinpoint an exact cause for the increase in domestic violence, the pandemic played a role, along with a correlation to poverty.
"As we see more and more of life’s stressors increase for those who are economically disadvantaged, it does make sense to me that there could be increases in domestic violence as well, especially because domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health, poverty, all of these things have different impacts on the home environment and the capacity for people to access services or resources or interventions that they need to live healthy lives and maintain healthy relationships."
Support is available at all times, regardless of whether someone is willing or able to leave an abusive situation.
"We always want folks to know that they don’t have to be seeking shelter to call our hotline," Snell said. "And even if they don’t need shelter but they need resources, we can provide those. We’re here 24/7, 365. Someone is always going to answer that hotline."
Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Greene County will soon offer ability to file protection order online
