A man was arrested on the Coast this weekend for his seventh domestic related charge in the past 14 months. His crimes ranged from violation of a protection order to aggravated and simple assault.

His seventh arrest was the result of him allegedly kicking open a door, striking a woman in the head and throwing a baseball bat out the front window of a residence.

Reoccurring violence is an issue across the nation and in Pearl River County. But ignoring the problem and allowing it to continue will eventually lead to much more severe crimes.

Before March of this year, domestic violence was not considered grounds for divorce in Mississippi. But now, that violence doesn’t have to be physical, it can be emotional or through intimidation.

This was a huge step forward for Mississippi and hopefully it will inspire more positive strikes against domestic violence. 

There are Pearl River County residents have been arrested time and again for domestic violence related charges.

If a victim decides not to press charges, those offenders are released, leading to the continuation of abuse.

Someone who is repeatedly arrested for, or even tried on, such charges needs more intervention than a short time in jail and a hefty fine. Intervention through the justice system needs to be stepped up. 

Each time a repeat offender conducts another act of domestic violence they’re pushing the line just a little bit further.

But the abuse doesn’t always start with harming other people. It can often begin by abusing animals, even beloved family pets.  For years, members of the Mississippi Legislature have tried to pass laws that would prohibit people convicted of animal abuse from working around children and the elderly as a precautionary measure.

Stopping the cycle at the beginning through harsher penalties and intervention programs could put a stop to this growing problem in Mississippi. But the matter has to be put to a legislative vote, something that has been blocked more than once.