City of Melbourne, FL
Home MenuDomestic Violence Unit
Domestic violence is a crime.
If you are being physically or sexually abused, threatened, or stalked by a family or household member, there is a law to protect you.
Under the provisions of Florida Statute 741.28, domestic violence means any assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment or any criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death of one family or household member by another family or household member.
Family or household members means spouses, former spouses, persons related by blood or marriage, persons who are presently residing together as if a family or who have resided together in the past as if a family, and persons who are parents of a child in common regardless of whether they have been married. With the exception of persons who have a child in common, the family or household members must be currently residing or have in the past resided together in the same single dwelling unit.
Melbourne's Assistance to Victims
Since 1997, the Melbourne Police Department has assigned a full-time detective to work with domestic violence issues.
The Domestic Violence Unit serves victims of domestic violence within the city limits of Melbourne. Victims receive support in many ways, including but not limited to assistance in filing injunction applications and/or attendance at hearings, shelter referrals, and assistance in obtaining needed services and filing crime compensation claims.
Both the detective and victim advocate are certified as victim services practitioners thus ensuring victims receive only the best possible service available.
Rights of Victims
If you are a victim of domestic violence, or if you have reason to believe that you may become a victim of any act of domestic violence, you have the right to request that an Injunction for Protection from Domestic Violence be issued.
You may file for an injunction at the Clerk of Courts office. Representation by an attorney is not required and there are no filing fees. If you are a victim of domestic violence, you may ask the State Attorney to file a criminal complaint.
You also have the right to go to court and file a petition requesting an injunction for protection from domestic violence. The domestic violence may result in the circumstances listed below, and need not be limited to the circumstances that are listed here.
Domestic violence circumstances may result in the following outcomes:
- Restrain the abuser from further acts of abuse.
- Direct the abuser to leave your household.
- Prevent the abuser from entering your residence, school, business, or place of employment.
- Award you custody of your minor child or children.
- Direct the abuser to pay support to you and the minor children if the abuser has a legal obligation to do so.
Resources
Dial 911 for EMERGENCIES ONLY
MPD non-emergency phone line: 321-608-6731
Domestic Violence Detective: 321-608-6356
Police Records: 321-608-6731
Domestic Violence Victim Advocate: 321-608-6359
State Attorney's Office: 321-617-7510
Witness Center: 321-617-7317
Victim Services: 321-617-7555
Sexual Assault Victim Services: 321-617-7533
Abuse Registry for Child, Disabled, Elderly: 1-800-962-2873
Crimes Compensation (Attorney General): 1-800-962-2873
Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service: 1-800-342-8060
Survivors of Homicide Program: 321-617-7555
Guardian Ad-litem: 321-690-6823
Child Support Enforcement: 1-800-622-5437
Brevard County Jail: 321-690-1500
Brevard County Legal Aid: 321-631-2500
Clerk of Courts (Viera): 321-637-5413
Consumer Help Line: 1-800-435-7352
Court Alternatives/Pre-Trial Release: 690-1514
Crisis/Suicide Hotline: 321-632-6688 or 1-800-273-8255
Domestic Violence Hotline: 321-631-2764 or 1-800-799-7233
Serene Harbor Domestic Violence Shelter: 321-726-8282
Salvation Army Domestic Violence Shelter: 321-631-2764
The Women's Center: 321-242-3110
Family Mediation: 321-690-6834
Juvenile Assessment Center: 321-752-3260
Mental Health Services - Circles of Care: 321-722-5200
Mental Health Association of Florida: 1-800-541-3647
Missing Children Information Clearing House: 1-888-356-4774
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: 1-800-843-5678
National Runaway Switchboard: 1-800-786-2929
Additional Information
Notice of Legal Rights & Remedies For Domestic/ Dating Violence Victims