The Domestic Violence Crisis Continues

The year isn’t even half over, and already 10 women have died in domestic homicides. The latest is 29-year-old Barbara Tassinari, whose husband John Tassinari allegedly shot her multiple times on Wednesday night in Abington.

Details of the Tassinari’s relationship are coming out, and it’s sad to see that Barbara’s family didn’t understand how much trouble she was in.

The report in today’s Globe glosses over the fact that while she may not have been physically abused by her husband, Barbara was definitely suffering from John’s controlling behavior.

“She was never really afraid of him,” Francis D. Scolaro, the father of Barbara Tassinari said yesterday. . . “And I never heard the man say boo.”

But the relationship was far from healthy.

Tassinari was also infamously obsessive. He would need his hair shaved every Friday, he would wear shorts every day throughout the year, he would make sure his wife did not have any cash, and would demand to see receipts for every purchase she made, they said.

Jane Doe Inc., a group that helps victims of domestic violence, lists controlling behavior at the top of their list of abuse signs. Mary Lauby, the organization’s executive director, appeared on NewsNight yesterday to appeal for additional funding from both the government, and the philanthropic community to create more awareness and programs to combat domestic violence. Women can call SafeLink, a free 24-hour hotline at 1-877-785-2020. Jane Doe also encourages friends and family who are worried about a loved one to call SafeLink for help.

And John Tassinari is still checking his infamously bondage and gun-heavy MySpace page. He last logged in yesterday, two days after allegedly killing his wife, and describes his mood as “fabulous” and says he’s “back on top of life.”