An online petition to reform domestic violence laws following the death of Amie Harwick, a prominent marriage and family therapist who authorities allege was attacked by an ex-boyfriend, had attracted more than 16,000 supporters as of Tuesday afternoon — including Harwick’s former fiance, TV star Drew Carey.
Carey endorsed the “Justice 4 Amie” petition on Twitter, asking his more than 600,000 followers to sign and support the effort. The “Price is Right” host had previously said in a statement that he was “overcome with grief” over Harwick’s death.
The proposals outlined in the petition, which is addressed to a cadre of California lawmakers and elected officials, include requiring mandatory in-person, long-term counseling for domestic violence perpetrators, providing accommodations so victims do not have to testify in close proximity to their abusers and establishing a registry, similar to the one in place for sex offenders, “to warn others of the deviant behavior.”
Diana Arias, who started the petition, wrote that “domestic violence is a serious concern for everyone” and Harwick “was murdered as a result of poor laws not protecting the victims and treating the offenders.”
Read the full story at LATimes.com.