The Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women monitors information about women and children murdered in our state to educate the public about the lethality of woman abuse and child abuse. We pledge to remember the women, children, and family members and/or friends who die each year from domestic violence and the woman and children who die while being used in prostitution - a system of violence against women and children. Women used in prostitution are battered women in need of protection from abuse.

      We challenge communities to respond to battered women and their children by providing safe shelter and advocacy services, prevention education for all elementary and secondary students, laws to protect women and children, effective enforcement of those laws and aggressive prosecution of all domestic assault crimes and all prostitution crimes targeting perpetrators, pimps, and "johns".

      Included in these reports are the names of the women and children who have died from woman abuse and child abuse in Minnesota in that year.

      In reporting the total number of deaths, it is important to note that at least this many women and children have been murdered. We cannot be certain we haven't missed some deaths since we must use a method of data collection that relies upon news accounts. No state or federal agency collects comprehensive data on femicides or domestic homicides. In addition, the murders of women of color, poor women, rural women, lesbians and women and girls used in prostitution may be underrepresented in our listing as they may be unreported or under-reported in mainstream newspapers.