At the end of August, at least three women in Southeast Michigan were killed by a partner or family member. Those cases prompted questions about protection orders—processes through which victims of domestic abuse can protect themselves.

Do they make a difference, and what more can be done to prevent instances of abuse?

Chéree Thomas is the Co-Executive Director of the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. She believes the responsibility to protect victims should not be placed exclusively on the justice system, it should also be placed on the shoulders of the broader community.

She joined the show to discuss how to collectively address and reduce domestic violence. 

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Over the past month, Southeast Michigan has been shaken by a string of killings. A mother and her 12-year-old son, a woman fleeing an abusive relationship, and a young woman, only 20 years old, were killed with days of each other by a partner or loved one.

These tragic events force us to address hard questions: Where can people living with abuse turn for help? And are the systems that are meant to protect them actually working?

Nushrat Rahman has covering been these instances for the Detroit Free Press. She joined the show to tell us more. 

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro