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Abstract: 

In the United States, human rights (HR) violations are often associated with serious and widespread abuses that occur in faraway countries. However, HR violations happen every day in our communities on American soil, often in the form of domestic violence (DV). Though rampant in the U.S., many Americans, including agencies of law enforcement, see DV as a family matter to be resolved within the home and not as an HR violation. However, in Jessica Lenahan (Gonzales) v. United States, the Inter- American Commission on Human Rights, (IACHR) an international human rights (IHR) body, considered for the first time the obligations of the U.S. to prevent DV and protect victims under HR standards. It found that the U.S. had violated IHR standards by failing to take reasonable measures to prevent the deaths of three girls who were victims of DV. In its groundbreaking report issued on August 17, 2011, the IACHR made recommendations to the U.S. regarding its laws and policies on DV.

Keywords: Castle Rock (Colorado) v. Jessica Gonzales; Inter-American Human Rights System; Velásquez Rodríguez v. Honduras; Violence Against Women Act

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