Know the Laws: North Carolina
UPDATED October 19, 2012
Even if you do not qualify for a domestic violence protective order or a civil no-contact order , the abuser may have committed a crime. If you call the police, they may arrest him for a crime and they may issue a restraining order through the criminal courts. Remember that even if you do have a DVPO, you can still report him/her to the police if you believe s/he committed a crime against you.
Below is a list of crimes in North Carolina that the abuser may have committed. You can click on the crime below and it will link you to the legal definition of that crime from our NC Statutes page.
- What are some crimes that the abuser may have committed in North Carolina?
- If I am the victim of a crime, where can I get additional help in NC?
back to topWhat are some crimes that the abuser may have committed in North Carolina?
In North Carolina, there is no specific crime of domestic violence, but the abuser may have committed one or more of the crimes listed on the NC General Statute Chapter 14, Criminal Law Section:
- Felonious restraint
- Trespass
- Willful injury to personal property
- Communicating threats
- Cyber stalking
- Stalking
- Rape and other sex offenses (please see the next question for links to more info about sexual assault)
- Labor trafficking (including sex trafficking)
- Burglary and other housebreakings
- Other crimes listed in the North Carolina General Statutes
back to topIf I am the victim of a crime, where can I get additional help in NC?
Victims Compensation Services reimburses citizens who suffer medical expenses and lost wages as a result of being an innocent victim of a crime committed in North Carolina. Victims of rape, assault, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, and drunk driving, as well as the families of homicide victims are eligible to apply for financial help.
The North Carolina Statewide Automated Victim Assistance and Notification (NC SAVAN) program provides access to victim assistance resources, offender custody status information (whether the abuser is still in jail/prison or not), and automated offender notifications (notifying you of court hearings or when the abuser is released). SAVAN is available in Spanish and English. Operators are available 24 hours a day to assist victims.
The North Carolina Victim Assistance Network (NCVAN ) provides information on over 1,500 victims service and criminal justice agencies, victim assistance programs, and advocacy groups in NC.
You may learn more about crimes by calling your local police department, sheriff's department, or district attorney's office. See our Sheriff's Departments page for the contact information for your local sheriff's department.
The Department of Justice Address Confidentiality Program helps victims keep their address safe from abusers. They help protect survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.
Please visit the NC Coalition Against Sexual Assault website for more information about sexual assault laws and resources in North Carolina.
You may also want to contact the Stalking Resource Center if you are being stalked or harassed.
If you are a victim of domestic violence and have been charged with a crime, you can contact the National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women.
Other organizations for victims of crime are listed on our National Organizations page .