Mar 5, 2017 3 min read

There are some documents that aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. That seems to be especially true with protection-from-abuse orders, better known as PFAs.

PFAs, which must be signed by a judge, are Pennsylvania’s version of a restraining order, but they don’t necessarily do much to protect victims of abuse, as illustrated by several recent cases in our area.

Within just two months of each other, two Washington County women – Tierne Ewing and Dalia Sabae – were murdered by their estranged husbands, both shot to death before the men then turned the guns on themselves. Both women had requested and were granted PFAs against their estranged husbands, moves they thought would keep them safe.

But besides informing an abuser they cannot visit or speak their spouse, the PFA does very little in protecting a victim.

Local authorities are raising questions about the effectiveness of PFA orders and how they bind their capabilities when trying to protect victims of abuse. Sheriffs across the state serve the PFA documents, but there’s little else they can do at the moment.

“Basically, the law only allows us to serve the paper,” Washington County Chief Deputy James Dalessandro said.

One idea Washington County Sheriff Samuel Romano has is the PFA should be treated similarly to a search warrant. It would allow deputies to go into a house to ensure no weapons are present. Instead, deputies aren’t permitted inside to look around, meaning authorities are “basically taking their word” that no guns are present.

“I think the system is a little bit broken,” Romano said.

At least one state legislator in our area has taken notice and is now trying to upgrade the laws to better protect victims of abuse.

State Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Carroll, is pushing legislation called “Tierne’s Law” that would allow magistrates to use a risk-assessment tool to better determine upon setting a defendant’s bail whether the person poses a danger to a victim. Those risk-assessment tools could predict an offender’s chances of returning or creating a dangerous circumstance for victims, Bartolotta said.

Bartolotta’s colleagues in the eastern part of the state are also trying to strengthen the laws. State Sen. Thomas Killion, who represents a district in suburban Philadelphia, wants to remove “third-party safekeeping” as an option for defendants ordered to give up their firearms, weapons and ammunition. Instead, the weapons could only be relinquished to sheriff’s deputies, police or a federal firearms licensed dealer, rather than allowing them to be transferred to a friend or relative.

While these measures wouldn’t necessarily bolster rules surrounding PFAs, it’s a good start. We must do everything in our power to protect those who rely on a PFA to protect them.

“It’s a shame, because we’re losing too many good people out there,” Romano said.

We’ve lost too many people locally. Something must be done to stop that.