The State’s Attorney’s Office for Charles County has a year-round commitment to end domestic violence. However, stopping domestic violence takes a concerted community effort. See below for resources to help you recognize it, report it, and prevent it.

Signs of Abuse 

Domestic Violence is the effort to maintain power and control over an intimate partner through means of willful intimidation and abuse. It is not limited to physical abuse, but can include a variety of controlling behaviors such as harassment, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, and/or financial abuse. Click here for more information.

Resources

If you are in immediate danger, please call 911 to reach police. The Center for Abused Persons’ 24-hour hotline is 301-645-3336.

If you would like to speak to a member of the Victim Witness Assistance Unit at the State’s Attorney’s Office, call 301-932-3350.

• • • Center for Abused Persons: https://www.centerforabusedpersonscharlescounty.org/
    • Charles County Sheriff’s Office: http://www.ccso.us/
    • 211MD www.211MD.org
    • The Southern Maryland Center for Advocacy www.smcfa.net
    • Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence: www.mnadv.org
    • National Domestic Violence Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/
    • Love Is Respect: https://www.loveisrespect.org/

Prevention

Teach your children at an early age about healthy relationships and mutual respect. If you’re in a domestic violence situation and are planning to leave, create a safety plan. Consider obtaining a protective order against the abuser:

A protective order is a civil order signed by a judge that orders a person to refrain from committing an act that may include abuse and harassment against another person. The court also can grant temporary custody of children and pets to the victim/petitioner. Additionally, the court can order a person to stay out of a victim’s home and job, as well as vacate the residence that is being shared between the victim and the abuser.  There are three kinds of protective orders: Interim, Temporary, and Final.

If the courts are closed, you can apply for an Interim Protective Order with a District Court Commissioner, that is effective when it is given to your abuser by a law enforcement officer. A date for a temporary order hearing will be listed. You can apply for a Temporary Protective Order during regular business hours in either District or Circuit Court. Temporary Protective Orders will list a date for a final order hearing and are valid until the hearing. Final Protective Orders are effective for one year. However, a Final Protective Order may be extended depending on certain circumstances including, but not limited to, if the abuser violates the protective order. A permanent Final Protective Order may be entered if the abuser in some cases when the abuser has been convicted and served time.