Safe haven opens for domestic violence victims in Marion County

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says it opened a room at the county jail Friday to allow domestic violence victims to file emergency injunctions against their abusers.

The new program allows victims to safely complete the necessary paperwork to file an injunction, even after hours and on weekends.

"It’s given us an opportunity to keep a lot more victims safe,” said Cindy Turner, a domestic violence survivor who now helps victims at the newly opened facility. “After hours and on weekends, there is nowhere for these victims to go obtain an injunction.”

In 2015, nearly 1,200 injunctions were filed in the county, about 800 of which were related to domestic violence, the Sheriff’s Office said.

"Some of our most violent crimes originate with domestic violence,” Sheriff Chris Blair said. “We want to encourage victims to come forward and seek our protection, and we think this room will help facilitate that."

The room has books, toys and a television to keep children entertained. Its doors are outfitted with locks and the room has an emergency exit, allowing a victim to escape should their abuser appear.

A woman recently filed an injunction at the facility, and the presence of corrections officers spooked her husband, deputies said.

Victims of domestic violence may contact the Domestic Violence Center at 352-622-8495, the Sheriff's Office at 352-732-9111 or the Ocala Police Department at 352-369-7000.

Cox Media Group