Aune files bill to allow pregnant Missourians to finalize divorce

Would rid abusers of legal tool to trap victims

State Rep. Ashley Aune (MHDC)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — State Rep. Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City, has filed a bill that would allow pregnant Missourians to have their divorces finalized, undoing an archaic loophole in Missouri’s family law. House Bill 2402 has already received a hearing in the House Emerging Issues Committee scheduled for Wednesday.

Aune said she does not want to live in a state where victims of spousal abuse should be forced to stay with an abusive partner.

“It’s horrifying that pregnant Missourians suffering all varieties of abuse at the hands of their spouse cannot have a divorce finalized,” Aune said. “This outdated provision of Missouri statute provides abusers with a tool to perpetuate physical and psychological violence against their partner, especially in a state where women do not currently have the same reproductive freedom as they would enjoy in other states.”

Aune filed HB 2402 after learning about the loophole from Synergy Services, an organization in Kansas City that provides crisis intervention, education and wraparound services for victims of domestic violence. Current statute allows abusers to weaponize pregnancy against a partner in a marriage as a way to keep their partner in an undesirable situation — Aune intends to change that.

“Domestic violence survivors are often trapped in relationships with limited control over their bodies,” said Sara Brammer, vice president of domestic violence services at Synergy Services. “Giving judges the authority to grant a divorce if the situation requires it will give domestic violence survivors a quicker and safer path to freedom for themselves and their families.”

People suffering from domestic violence also often lack the resources to sustain themselves or their children financially. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research found that over 80 percent of domestic violence survivors reported that their abusive partners impeded their ability to work.

The same study estimates that the lifetime cost of the aftermath of intimate partner violence — costs related to health problems, lost productivity and criminal justice — can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars. While men can and do suffer from the financial toll of domestic violence, women suffer disproportionately more in this regard. Male survivors are estimated to lose roughly $23,000 over the course of their lifetimes, but that figure can reach as high as over $100,000 for women.