Although domestic violence can have a profound impact on its victims, the effect on those accused of committing violent acts is often ignored, even if that individual has not been found guilty by a jury of his or peers. A Georgia man was recently arrested after allegedly becoming involved in a domestic violence dispute with his ex-girlfriend. When police arrived on the scene, they arrested the man on criminal trespassing and assault charges.
It is not clear how long the two had been broken up when the 33-year-old man supposedly made threats of violence against his ex. The woman claims that he showed up at her home at around 10 p.m. after they had engaged in an argument over the phone. There were children residence at the time, and the woman told police that the man had been smoking and using vulgar language, so she told him that he was not a welcome guest at their home.
However, the man was apparently in the living room at one point, and the supposed victim claims that he pushed her back onto the couch when she attempted to stand up. According to the police report, he also made threats against her with his cigarette. By the time police arrived, the man had already left. The woman reported that she had suffered injuries although there were no indications of any at the time.
When police later located the man accused of instigating the domestic violence incident, he conceded that he had been drinking earlier in the evening but had not hit his ex-girlfriend. He did, however, say that he attempted to use his cigarette against her, which possibly contributed to the assault charge. While domestic violence is admittedly a serious concern in Georgia, those accused of committing these types of violent acts are still protected by the full breadth of the law and are not required to prove their innocence. The burden of proof instead lies with the prosecution, and a conviction can only be achieved if every element of the charges is proven to be true.
Source: northwestgeorgianews.com, “Ex-boyfriend arrested for allegedly threatening to burn woman with cigarette“, Josh O’Bryant, Aug. 18, 2015
