Combating spousal abuse

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State Attorney General Henry McMaster is actively seeking the help of private attorneys in fighting domestic violence. His efforts should increase the number of convictions for spousal abuse in South Carolina. But state leaders need to do much more to reduce the shamefully high rate of domestic violence in the state.

McMaster has received commitments from at least 35 attorneys to prosecute domestic violence cases. The attorneys will offer their assistance free of charge.

That's an important development because police officers most often are called upon to present evidence in domestic violence cases in county and municipal courts. Officers are overburdened with other duties and not well-trained to prosecute domestic violence cases, especially if a defendant has access to a skilled attorney.

Attorneys volunteering for the program will receive specialized training from the attorney general's office. The new initiative does not affect Greenville or Pickens counties because Solicitor Bob Ariail already has created a program to prosecute domestic violence cases before magistrates. But McMaster's program will be of particular benefit to poorer counties.

McMaster's initiative should be followed by efforts from other state leaders to reduce the staggering number — 36,000 annually — of domestic violence cases in South Carolina. The House and Senate made some progress this year with the Domestic Violence Prevention Act which, among other things, elevates domestic violence "of a high and aggravated nature" to the status of a felony. That would mean the perpetrator could face years in prison.

But much more needs to be done. South Carolina often ranks in the top five states in the nation for the number of women killed by domestic partners. In 2000, the most recent year for which numbers are available, the state ranked No. 3 in the nation in domestic violence homicides.

Gov. Mark Sanford, in last year's campaign, was criticized by then-Gov. Jim Hodges for voting against federal initiatives to battle violence against women. Sanford was one of only three U.S. House members to oppose the Violence Against Women Act.

Sanford pledged to aggressively fight domestic violence but so far has failed to live up to that promise. For instance, he's not even certain whether he will sign the Domestic Violence Prevention Act approved by the General Assembly this year. He should sign it immediately and then consider championing some of the 23 credible recommendations made in a 110-page report by a domestic violence task force in the year 2000. Sanford also should lay out a detailed and comprehensive strategy for fighting domestic violence.

Domestic violence remains one of South Carolina's worst problems and combating it should be a top priority for Sanford and state lawmakers.