COVINGTON, Ga. - The Newton County District Attorney's (DA's) Office placed a purple ribbon on the Covington Square Tuesday to honor Domestic Violence Awareness month. 

Domestic Violence acts are committed between past or present spouses, persons who are parents of the same child, parents and children, stepparents and stepchildren, foster parents and foster children or other persons excluding siblings living or formerly living in the same household.

Alcovy Judicial Circuit District Attorney Layla H. Zon provided the following statistics:

• From 2003 through 2015, at least 1550 Georgia Citizens lost their lives due to Domestic Violence.
  
• As of the year 2015, Georgia ranks 17th in the nation for the rate at which men kill women in single-victim, domestic violence-related murders. Firearms were the leading weapon of choice by batterers. In over 41 percent of the cases, children were present during the domestic violence homicide.
  
• From 2012-2016 Newton County has had 11 Domestic Violence related deaths.
  

Zon said there are five Victim-Witness Advocates in the DA’s office. Advocates assist victims of crimes by keeping them apprised of court dates, ensuring that victims know their rights, initiating follow up conduct with victims who have obtained Temporary Protective Orders (TPOs) or court orders prohibiting contact by their abuser, developing safety plan strategies for victims including referrals to shelters and counseling, working with young child victims who may be frightened or intimidated by the court system, gathering and preparing crime victim’s compensation application for financial assistance.

The Crime Victims Compensation Program assists victims with expenses they incurred as a result of a violent crime and encourages victims to participate in the criminal justice system. These expenses can include medical costs, mental health counseling fees, funeral expenses, crime scene sanitation expenses, as well as loss of income or support.