County governments join advocates, law enforcement in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month for October

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FRIO COUNTY Judge Rochelle Camacho, the county commissioners’ court and other local elected officials joined Southwest Family Life Center Victim Advocate and Case Manager Corina Martinez and members of the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) in signing a proclamation acknowledging October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the county.
The proclamation is signed annually in Frio County. During DVAM, victim advocates, allied professionals, survivors of abuse, their loved ones, and the surrounding community come together to mourn the lives lost to domestic violence, celebrate the progress that has been made to end this epidemic, and connect with others working to create change.
Locally, Martinez offers non-resident services to victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault; provides victim advocacy, legal advocacy, peer counseling, crisis intervention, safety planning, assistance with obtaining protective orders, assistance with Texas victims compensation application, court accompaniment, and information and referrals through the Southwest Family Life Centers. The organizations’ coverage area includes Frio, Kinney, Medina, Real and Uvalde counties.
The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) examines and reports intimate partner homicides annually to call for systemic and cultural change. They reflect on the stories of the individuals to understand the experiences of victims, identify gaps in services, and offer practical solutions for change.
Each story informs TCFV efforts to uphold their mission and improve outcomes for families experiencing domestic violence.
“We pause to honor the lives of Texas women, men, and children killed by someone who claimed to love them,” a press release from the organization said. “These losses devastate families and communities across Texas.

Frio County Judge Rochelle Camacho, elected officials and advocates mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month for October in a ceremony Tuesday, October 8.

“In 2023, 205 Texans were victims of intimate partner or stalking homicide. This number includes 179 women and 26 men, including four LGBTQ+ victims.”
According to the TCFV, intimate partner homicide victims ranged in age from 15 to 88.
“Homicide perpetrators also killed 16 family members, friends, or bystanders and injured an additional 12 victims, including family members, neighbors, and friends,” the agency said. “The victims included four children who were killed and three children who were injured. Two hundred eighteen adults and children lost a parent to domestic violence.
“Each confirmed fatality represents a woman or man killed by an intimate partner or stalking perpetrator between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. These narratives include the date of death, the ages of the victim and perpetrator, and the location of the homicide, followed by a brief description of the circumstances of the crime based on publicly available information.
“The narratives prioritize highlighting lethality risk factors for best practices on enhancing future survivor safety. Information in this report, particularly regarding criminal charges and bond conditions, represents what was known about the status of criminal cases at the time of publishing.”
The agency says it hopes that a careful examination of each case illuminates the issue of domestic violence and paves pathways for effective intervention and prevention. The TCFV lists the names of each of the 205 victims of intimate partner homicide in 2023, joining their families, friends, and communities in mourning each and every individual.
For feedback or for additional information on a specific case, contact [email protected].
The Southwest Family Life Center hotline is (830) 426-5131 and the office number is (830) 426-4556. They can also be reached via email at [email protected].

LA SALLE COUNTY Judge Leodoro Martinez III put his signature to an annual proclamation on Tuesday, October 15, designating October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“One in every three Texans will experience domestic violence in their lifetime,” the judge read in a special session of the commissioners’ court Tuesday morning. “The impact of domestic violence is wide-ranging, directly affecting individuals and society as a whole, here in this community and throughout the United States and the world.”
The judge was joined by elected officials, county government representatives, law enforcement and emergency responders, Cotulla ISD administrators, and members of the Woman’s Club of Cotulla and the Wintergarden Women’s Shelter as well as child and family advocates and service providers in heralding the designation as a call for greater understanding, intervention and prevention of domestic violence.
“The county of La Salle continues to serve survivors by acknowledging, invigorating and dedicating ourselves to the goal of eliminating domestic violence,” the judge said. “The Woman’s Club of Cotulla, in collaboration with other local groups and agencies, is working to educate the public about the prevention of domestic violence and the resources available for victims.”
County Attorney Elizabeth Martinez said she believes credit is also due to “the many who work behind the scenes,” notably those in advocacy programs, those who work with survivors of domestic violence, and those who work with the county and district prosecutors’ offices to bring those responsible for abuse to justice.

La Salle County Judge Leodoro Martinez III is joined by elected officials, civic leaders, advocates, law enforcement and emergency responders, service providers, Cotulla ISD administrators, and community organizations in a proclamation for Domestic Violence Awareness Month on Tuesday, October 15.

Wintergarden Women’s Shelter representative Erika Bustamante said the organization is indebted to the civic groups and local agencies who support the cause, among them the Woman’s Club.
“Hundreds of victims of domestic violence have been served by the shelter since 2016,” Bustamante said, “including women and children, but also men. We have also helped to provide legal services and some financial support to our clients. Our funds have helped us buy shoes for the children who needed them, and in many ways we are reinvesting those funds into the community.”
“These proclamations help bring awareness of domestic violence to the people and help to prevent it,” Woman’s Club representative Louisa Franklin said. “We are happy to have an outreach to the shelter and we will help bring more women and men to receive help.
“Children are the witnesses to the majority of the violence, and they experience that trauma,” Franklin added. “We work with the Children’s Alliance of South Texas and the Court Appointed Special Advocates when children are removed from abusive situations. It’s a vicious cycle and we have to break that cycle. We must help people seek and find the help they need and we must continue to fight the fight.”