On August 16, two members of our Hmong Minnesotan community were found dead in St. Paul, Minnesota, leaving behind five children under the age of 10. After an initial investigation, the St. Paul Police Department determined that this was a case of murder-suicide. At the center of this case, like others we have seen before, is a family struggling through tragedy; five children have been orphaned. Our deepest condolences go to the family and loved ones of the Xiong and Lor families and their children.
For years, the Council has given voice to victims of violence as we have worked closely with advocates, survivors, and coalition partners to bring attention to addressing gender-based violence in its various forms across the Asian Pacific Minnesotan community. Violence perpetrated by intimate partners has long been an overlooked and unappreciated problem in our communities; however, we know that the scourge of violence continues to impact Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Department of Health's Violence Against Asian Women and Children report, 1 out of every 6 Asian women in Minnesota has experienced some form of intimate partner violence during their lifetime.
We also recognize that since the outset of the pandemic, the number of incidents reported of gender-based violence has significantly increased, and that many more remain unreported and therefore hidden and inadequately addressed at this time. Tragedies like this, including another murder-suicide incident that claimed the lives of a family of five in Vadnais Heights earlier this summer, are felt across our communities. The impacts of violence can resonate in families, communities, and, when children are involved, generations.
The Council recognizes the pervasive problem of intimate partner violence and reaffirms our commitment to breaking these cycles within our Asian Pacific Minnesotan community. To this end, we will continue our legislative work to establish more prevention programming that is community-specific and culturally relevant to the needs of the many different communities that we serve. We are also committed to continuing this conversation with state and local government officials and law enforcement to better target intervention services to prevent further tragedies in our community.
Finally, we call on all members of the broader Asian Pacific Minnesotan community, our partners, and state leaders to stand with us and support us in these efforts to eliminate gender-based violence across our state and in our communities. It is the responsibility of all of us to take action to make sure everyone in our community is safer by addressing the root causes of gender-based violence.
