A bill allowing the history of a domestic abuse or human trafficking victim to be considered if they kill or severely injure their perpetrator failed to advance from a committee on Tuesday.
Sen. Beth Mizell (R-Franklinton) sponsored SB 152. While presenting the bill, Mizell reminded committee members that the leading cause of death among pregnant women in Louisiana is murder at the hands of their partner, and that too often, women are left with no way out but to take the life of the person abusing them.
“ This bill doesn't say the person that committed the crime is innocent. It's only that if we want to be fair and just, that thought should be given to the circumstances that led to the arrest,” said Mizell. “ If we don't arrest criminals for acts against our citizens, can we at least let our citizens defend themselves in spite of the circumstances they’re in, mostly through no fault of their own.”
Lawmakers heard testimony from women who served time for such crimes, and the bill received support from the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), but the majority Republican Senate Judiciary C Committee voted against it.
Mizell said she will continue to sponsor legislation to protect domestic abuse and human trafficking victims.
“We've seen circumstances where when a woman defends her own life or defends her family from assault, she's in prison, she's alive, she's allowed to live, but she's living in prison the rest of her life because she did this crazy thing of saving her own life for protecting her family,” said Mizell.
