COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina domestic violence survivors say authorities do not treat the crime seriously, according to a new report.

Columbia psychologist Lisabeth Saunders-Medlock talked with 71 women this summer to prepare a report for a group that fights domestic violence.

The report for the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault shows that victims of abuse say the state does not have enough services to help them live independently.

The report was released at a Statehouse news conference Wednesday, where Attorney General Henry McMaster called on victims' advocates to find creative ways to attack the situation.

Columbia therapist Elizabeth Burns said she credited a battered women's program for helping her when she was homeless and living out of a car in California after a domestic violence incident.

The Saunders-Medlock report follows a national study that found that South Carolina ranked worst in the nation for the rate of women killed by men.

The 71 women interviewed for the local report either were in domestic violence shelters or had been in shelters. They ranged in age from their early 20s to late 60s.

The women expressed concern that police do not believe victims if they do not see obvious injuries. Bruises typically appear later and many abusers know where to strike to conceal injuries, the report said.

Shelters with 367 beds provided living quarters for 3,731 victims last year but had to turn away 517 for lack of space, the report said.

The women say some judges deny protection orders even when battered women say they fear for their lives. When orders are issued, police often do not enforce them.

They also suggest more middle-school and high-school programs to help young people identify the signs of abuse.

Many of the women interviewed said they grew up in abusive households.

Information from: The State