Following the murder-suicide of the Arruda family in West Greenwich, supporters say more services are needed

Massachusetts saw a ‘dramatic increase’ in domestic violence crimes from 2020 to 2022, according to a 2023 state report Domestic Violence Fatalities Review Team. There were 21 domestic violence-related homicides in the Bay State in 2020, 18 in 2021 and 28 in 2022.

However, pregnant women are at increased risk.

On January 3, Arruda, who was seven months pregnant, and her children, Adele, 5, and Felex, 2, they were found dead in their home in West Greenwich, RI They were still in their pajamas. Her husband and the children’s father, Nicholas D. Arruda, shot them with a semi-automatic weapon and then turned the gun on themselves, leaving a scene that the police chief described as “one of the worst” of his nearly 35-year career.

“We may never know why this happened,” Chief Richard Ramsay told the media.

As he spoke, a jury in Kent County Superior Court, 14 miles away, was convening for the trial of two men accused of the murder of Leila Duarte Da Luz, who was pregnant, and threw her into a pond in Coventry, RI in December 2022. One of the men was the father of her unborn child. The second one had previously been convicted of murder.

Duarte Da Luz, 34, and Danielle Arruda, 39, are part of a disturbing nationwide trend in which Domestic violence homicides have become the leading cause of death among pregnant women in the United States.

“Domestic violence occurs in every corner of our state and in every city and town in Rhode Island. Nearly one in two Rhode Islanders have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime, according to the Rhode Island Domestic Violence Coalition. – wrote in the statement. “Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used to maintain power and control over a victim. “Assassination is the ultimate act of power and control.”

Pregnancy is considered one of the most dangerous periods for victims of domestic violence. A report by the US Centers for Disease Control shows that 20 percent of pregnant women have been victims of domestic violence. According to data collected by the Rhode Island Pregnancy Risk Monitoring System, 4.1 percent of women who gave birth between 2019 and 2021 reported experiencing violence by a partner, relative or someone else before or during their pregnancy.

The trend suggested The Newcomer’s HouseA Providence-based nonprofit that helps survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse will launch a peer mentoring program in late 2022 to help new and expectant mothers. The organization also trains health care workers to privately screen patients for harassment.

According to Vanessa Volz, executive director of Sojourner House, women who experience violence or control during pregnancy are less likely to seek prenatal care. “We often find that pregnant victims may not seek help because they hope everything will work out and they will start a family with their partner,” she said.

Although Rhode Island does not publish specific data on domestic violence homicide victims during pregnancy or after childbirth, it is enough of a concern that the Rhode Island Pregnancy and Postpartum Death Review Commission recommends that health care providers routinely screen their patients for private setting for symptoms. abuses and raise awareness of laws prohibiting people with violent criminal histories from owning guns.

Even though Rhode Island has the strictest gun laws in the country, including a law that prohibits people with misdemeanor domestic violence convictions from obtaining guns, firearms are the most common cause of domestic violence homicides.

In March 2024, a resident of Warwick he shot his 4-year-old sonand then himself. In July, a Hopkinton man murdered his estranged wife, their children and a neighbor’s child in a nearby room, then led police on a wild chase before committing suicide. The police chief told The Globe that his department did it tried to stop him from buying a gun.

Last year, domestic violence claimed the lives of families from all walks of life in Massachusetts. In May 2024, a Lowell man he fatally shot his wife and 7-year-old daughterand then himself, a crime that left those who loved them searching for answers.

In December 2023, the Dover entrepreneur whose wealth turned out to be an illusion shot his wife and 18-year-old daughter while they slept and then committed suicide. Again, there were no outward signs of lethal violence in this case or abuse.

As violence escalates, funding for prevention and support for survivors decreases.

Severe cuts in funding for the Victims of Crime Act, also known as VOCA, have left agencies that help victims of violent crime struggling to keep up with demand.

Of the 1,900 Sojourner House clients assisted in 2024, 53 percent had children. In some years this percentage was as high as 85%. But Volz said that in the face of funding cuts, Sojourner House had to turn people away because they didn’t have enough shelters, doctors or other services people needed.

“It really has to be a matter of prioritization. There is no way one agency can solve this problem,” Volz said. “We are talking about life or death.”

Although tragedies may seem unpredictable from the outside, Volz stated that it is rare for the perpetrator to simply kill their partner. “There were probably pre-existing patterns of behavior that if we had more services, we probably could have prevented,” she said.

Nicholas Arruda, who had swastika tattoos and a history of domestic violence, including previous arrests, may have owned multiple firearms. Neighbors said the family had been quiet and kept their distance, and no one knew anything was wrong until Danielle Arruda’s co-workers began wondering why she hadn’t come to work for days, and on Jan. 3 they asked police to she checked what was happening to her.

“The need is much greater than any of us realize,” Volz said. “What happened to the (Arruda) family is more than just suicide.”

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can seek help through: National Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-7233. You can also call the statewide, 24-hour, confidential Rhode Island Crime Victims Hotline at (800) 494-8100 or chat online with the Rhode Island Domestic Violence Coalition at www.ricadv.org.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call, write or chat call 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to connect with a trained crisis counselor who can provide support if you are experiencing a mental health crisis, substance use or suicide.

Globe’s Alexa Gagosz contributed to this report.

Amanda Milkovits can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @AmandaMilkovits.