An article for Law360 Access to Justice details the complicated maze indigenous women must navigate in order to obtain legal protection when faced with domestic and sexual violence. A continuously evolving problem which is largely due to the inconsistent and insufficient collection of statutes, government policy, and U.S. Supreme Court precedent, covering how crime is handled across the area known as “Indian Country.”

“Although all people living on lands controlled by tribal nations face issues of access to justice, the legal framework is particularly relevant to violence against Native women, which is at epidemic levels and occurring in even greater numbers compared with women in the general population.”

The article reveals that while the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2013 attempted to address some of these issues, it still failed to resolve many major concerns. It suggests that a 2019 VAWA reauthorization bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would build on the progress made in 2013.

The article concludes by stating that without drastic policy reform justice for many victims will continue rely on an imperfect system.

Read the full article here.