Reactions and resources: Domestic violence in Middle Tennessee

In April 2021, Nashville resident Marie Varsos tried to get protection from her husband after he strangled and threatened to kill her. She did everything she was supposed to do. She had resources and support. But Sean Varsos murdered her and her mother.

In recent years, the city of Nashville has made strides in improving the systems to address domestic violence, but the Varsos case demonstrates that those systems are not infallible.

We talk with a domestic violence survivor, and with people currently working to connect survivors to critical resources.

At the top of the episode, Paige Pfleger reports on Marie Varsos' brother, Alex Youn, who has been on a mission to fix what he sees as several “critical failures” by law enforcement in the deaths of his sister and mother. Youn's efforts prompted four bills this legislative session.

So far, only one of those has reached Gov. Bill Lee's desk for approval. The proposed law would require the sheriff's office "to make reasonable efforts" to determine whether someone being served an order of protection or other civil process has an outstanding criminal warrant.

Guests:

• Christina Johnson, assistant district attorney and co-team leader of the domestic violence unit

• Sharon Roberson, president and CEO, YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee

• Anita Smith, domestic violence survivor

• Mary Katherine Rand, executive director, The Mary Parrish Center

Resources:

From the Metro Office of Family Safety: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or you’re unsure about whether or not your situation is domestic violence, please speak to an advocate at the Family Safety Center today at 615-880-1100.

To speak with someone on a 24-hour hotline, contact the YWCA Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-334-4628.