With all the news recently about professional athletes facing domestic violence charges, other domestic violence cases are also starting to come forward. Recently, a case involving a University of Texas basketball player serves as a reminder that domestic violence doesn’t necessarily have to involve a spouse.
The player is facing a Class A misdemeanor in connection with an alleged assault on his girlfriend. The arrest warrant claims that while the player was on the campus of UT at a residence hall, he assaulted his girlfriend. She says that he was mad that she went out with a male friend. During the ensuing argument, the man allegedly refused to let her leave. She responded by slapping him once. She says she dropped into a fetal position after which he punched her four times. He threw her out of the room after dragging her.
Those four punches he through may have broken her ribs because she was taken to the hospital for treatment. In response to these very serious allegations, the basketball player has been suspended from the team. The UT basketball coach says that the player is cooperating with the police on campus in connection with the incident. On top of missing games, the player will also miss all team functions.
This case highlights the fact that domestic violence can occur in a variety of relationships and for a variety of reasons. This victim says that she knew she was going to be hit because of previous fights, which hints at a pattern of abuse. Nobody has to stand for abuse of any sort. As we covered last week, taking steps to protect yourself from domestic violence is vital to help ensure your safety.
Source: KVUE, “UT basketball player accused of domestic violence” Sep. 12, 2014
