BOSTON — Yajaira Suarez was shot to death in 2022, allegedly by her former husband, Jesse Mitchell, before he killed himself in their Lynn home.
Authorities said the couple were going through a divorce and fighting for custody of their children. Suarez’s family members told police there was a history of domestic abuse.
Suarez’s murder was one of 28 domestic violence-related homicides in Massachusetts in 2022, according to the latest data outlined in a new report by the state’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team, which cited a 55% increase over the preceding year.
In 2021, there were 18 cases, according to the panel, which cites data from the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System.
The report’s authors also noted an uptick in aggravated assault cases, from 5,739 in 2021 to 6,102 and 2022. Reported cases of simple assaults also increased in 2022 to 16,760 cases, according to the report.
“We have unfortunately seen a dramatic increase within all categories except for kidnapping and intimidation, however, both only show very slight decreases,” the report’s authors wrote. “These rates continue to demonstrate the need for improved prevention programming as well as continued survivor supports.”
Among the victims of domestic violence murders in 2022 was 30-year-old Mariel Ramos De Los Santos, who was stabbed to death in her Lawrence apartment, allegedly her husband, only days after returning from a trip to the Dominican Republic.
The panel, which includes law enforcement officials and victim advocates, was created under a 2014 law that seeks to investigate the circumstances surrounding domestic violence-related deaths.
Lawmakers have filed nearly 70 bills for consideration in the upcoming two-year session dealing with the issue of domestic violence. Many of them seek new protections for victims and tougher sanctions for perpetrators.
Advocates said they’ve seen an uptick in domestic violence in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Crisis centers still are fielding a high volume of requests from victims seeking emergency housing and other assistance.
Groups like Jane Doe Inc. point out that domestic violence incidents are often underreported, as many victims fear coming forward.
The data also tends to be scattershot, as victims often report the abuse to different entities, whether it’s the police or their doctor.
Likewise, the number of domestic homicides tend to go up and down from year to year. Advocates say it’s hard to determine what is behind the fluctuations.
From 2017 to 2018, there was a decrease in domestic violence homicides, according to state data, while from 2018 to 2019 there was a slight increase. The number of homicide victims plummeted from 2019 to 2020, from 23 to 10, the data show.
The state has yet to see a spike like that in 2007, when 39 domestic violence victim deaths were reported, prompting then-Gov. Deval Patrick to declare a public health emergency.
Advocates also point out that Massachusetts has one of the lowest per capita rates of domestic violence homicides in the country.