SAN ANTONIO – It is the first task force of its kind in Texas.
A newly passed law, Senate Bill 1946, requires the 21-person group to take a hard look at domestic violence deaths in Texas and report recommendations to the Legislature.
A local abuse survivor who almost lost her own life said she hopes the task force finds real ways to create change and save lives.
Her identity has been hidden for her safety.
“The abuse did not start all at once, and it frequently doesn’t,” she said of her own story. “It was years of stalking me online before speaking to me and finding out intimate details about my life. There was a lot of trauma bonding.”
Her abuser moved her to San Antonio, isolating her from her family and friends.
“He then isolated all my communications, and he began restricting my being able to leave the house. The physical abuse — that came in a few years. Pushing, slapping, pinching, accidentally hurting you, and then it was more obvious," she said. “There were multiple hospitalizations due to violence during the pregnancy. If not for CPS finally intervening, I wouldn’t be here today.”
She was nearly one of the fatalities reported each year by the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV). The organization’s annual Honoring Texas Victims Report influenced recent legislation and the creation of a task force.
In fiscal year 2024 into 2025, TCFV reported 161 domestic violence deaths in Texas.
“One life is too many. One hundred sixty-one is unimaginable,” said TCFV CEO Gloria Aguilera Terry. “One truth is clear: these deaths rarely come without a warning.”
Terry said she is humbled to be on the state’s brand-new Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force.
“The members are appointed by the governor, bringing together survivors, law enforcement, advocates, leaders, health professionals,” Terry said. “It is a robust cross-section of disciplines to make recommendations to the Texas Legislature.”
She said the goal is to examine the top three lethality factors: stalking, strangulation and firearms.
The survivor in this story said she related to all three, saying there were countless systemic failures during her abuse, which she hopes the task force will tackle.
“The way the police handled the assault put me in further danger. They didn’t believe me. For medical professionals, there were interventions that could’ve been taken during the pregnancy when there were definite signs of abuse and trauma,” she said. ”Then, prosecution timelines and the high-risk period immediately following an offender’s release. That’s the scariest time, and you don’t even know they’re out. You’re sitting ducks basically.”
The 21-member task force was assigned in December and met for the first time in January.
When asked how encouraged she feels, Terry said, “They were already moving toward a solution, and it was day one of the task force. So I’m optimistic, I’m hopeful.”
Terry said some initial discussion topics included:
- Where were there opportunities to interrupt a homicide?
- What can the prosecution do differently?
- What data are we collecting from intersections with child abuse around violent deaths in Texas?
- How do we connect that domestic violence calls for law enforcement are the most dangerous?
- Do we have enough funding, support, and legal protections to keep people safe?
“So right now, there’s already a lot on the table, and that was just meeting number one,” Terry said.
While the survivor is skeptical, she is also hopeful.
“This could be something that has the potential to save lives, and if utilized correctly, it will save lives,” she said.
Terry admits awareness is not enough to stop the deaths.
“It takes time, persistence, and courage to move from awareness to coordinated response,” she said. ”What is different now is that we have decades of data, we have clear patterns, we have a mandate from the Legislature, and then we have this incredible shared willingness across systems to work together.”
The task force is expected to move quickly. Its initial report of recommendations is due to the Legislature in December 2026.
Members will then be able to move into implementation strategies until the project finishes at the end of 2027.
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