In the aftermath, the Ohio Crime Victims Compensation Fund was a lifeline for the woman, who lives in the Dayton area and spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing retribution from her ex-husband, who is due to get out of prison next month.
Although the fund paid only about $1,600, it covered the MRI she needed on her shoulder and ongoing counseling.
“I needed medical care. I lost my job. I lost my insurance. It just snowballed on me,” the woman said.
That same fund is in danger of going broke, slipping from a healthy $42.3 million reserve in July 2005 to $11.1 million in February 2010.
Since its founding in 1976, the Crime Victims Compensation Fund has paid out $300 million to thousands of Ohioans. The fund is run by the state attorney general’s office and funded through federal grants, court fines and license fees.
Some of that revenue, such as from the collection of court fines, has been slipping in recent years. But state officials have also tapped the fund for reasons other than helping victims with their medical bills, lost wages and other expenses.
For victims like the woman who was brutalized by her estranged husband, such help is vital.
“This is something that should be preserved for others because there is a need,” she said.
Contact this reporter at (614)224-1624 or
lbischoff@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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