If we track sex offenders, why not repeat domestic abusers?

Last year, 157 Ohioans lost their lives in domestic violence-related incidents making it the highest number ever recorded by the Ohio Domestic Violence Network. 

Ohio cannot prevent every act of domestic violence. However, lawmakers have an opportunity to provide families with another tool to protect themselves.

A bipartisan bill pending in the Ohio General Assembly, House Bill 846, would create a registry for repeat domestic violence offenders. The legislation is sponsored by State Rep. Phil Plummer, a Dayton-area lawmaker and former Montgomery County sheriff, and State Rep. Cecil Thomas of Cincinnati. The proposal would require repeat offenders to register with the state and make certain information available to the public.

The bill recognizes domestic violence is not merely a private family matter but a public safety issue.

Domestic violence is frequently a pattern of escalating behavior. It rarely begins with homicide. It often starts with intimidation, threats, harassment and physical assaults that grow more severe over time. By the time law enforcement responds to a fatal incident, warning signs may have existed for months or years.

Ohio recorded 157 domestic violence-related deaths between July 2024 and June 2025, a staggering 37 percent increase from the previous year and the highest number ever recorded. More than 80 of those deaths occurred in murder-suicide incidents and 11 children lost their lives.

Also, according to the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, 55 percent of perpetrators involved in these fatal incidents had a prior criminal history and 37 percent had felony convictions. In addition, 35 percent of victims were killed while attempting to leave the relationship, demonstrating how often domestic violence escalates over time.

National statistics paint an equally alarming picture. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe physical violence from an intimate partner during their lifetime. Nearly half of all women murdered in the United States are killed by a current or former intimate partner.

Perhaps most disturbing, 144 of Ohio's 157 domestic violence-related deaths last year involved a firearm. Meaning more than 90 percent of these fatalities involved a weapon in the hands of someone who often had a documented history of violence.

These numbers underscore a difficult reality that domestic violence is often a recurring pattern of criminal behavior moving towards tragedy.

Critics argue registries can create punishment beyond a criminal sentence. House Bill 846 is not aimed at first-time offenders. It focuses on repeat offenders whose actions have established a documented pattern of violence.

The central question is whether potential victims deserve access to information to help them protect themselves.

The purpose of government is first and foremost to protect the innocent. A registry will not stop every act of domestic violence. No law can. However information can be provided that may help individuals recognize danger before they become victims.

Individuals who repeatedly commit acts of violence against family members should be held accountable not only in court but also through transparency. Accountability is not vengeance. It is recognition that actions have consequences.

Some argue that government should stay out of private relationships. The problem is that domestic violence stops being a private matter the moment someone is assaulted. When a spouse is beaten, a child witnesses abuse or a family member lives in fear, society bears the cost. Law enforcement responds. Courts intervene. Medical providers treat injuries. Communities suffer the consequences.

Opponents correctly point out that a registry cannot stop every crime. Neither can sex offender registries, protection orders or criminal background checks. Yet all of these tools serve the same purpose: providing information that helps people make informed decisions and potentially avoid becoming victims.

More than half of domestic violence perpetrators involved in fatal incidents had prior criminal histories. More than one-third had felony records.

The overwhelming majority of Ohioans will never commit domestic violence. They should not have to worry about a registry. But those who repeatedly victimize the people closest to them have demonstrated a pattern of dangerous behavior that the public has a legitimate interest in knowing about.

House Bill 846 is about protecting vulnerable people from repeat offenders and giving Ohio families access to information that could save lives.

Rob Scott is the Kettering Clerk of Court, an attorney and a small-business owner. Contact him at rob@robscott.us.

This column first published on DaytonDailyNews.com. Read the full article here.