(WYMT/WKYT) – Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has released the 2026 Domestic Violence Prosecution Manual, an updated guide designed to improve how prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and victim advocates investigate and litigate domestic abuse cases across the Commonwealth.
The publication comes amid high rates of abuse statewide.
According to the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, law enforcement officers responded to nearly 34,000 domestic and dating violence incidents in 2025.
During that same period, regional domestic violence hotlines fielded more than 20,000 crisis calls.
The Attorney General’s Office updates the manual every two years to reflect evolving legal standards and best practices.
The 2026 edition features new guidance on Kentucky’s updated stalking laws, which now classify all stalking crimes as felonies and specifically address technology-facilitated and indirect stalking.
Additionally, the manual details new procedures for protective orders, emphasizing safety measures that no longer require victims to navigate separate civil court proceedings.
“When Kentucky prosecutors and law enforcement have the right tools, justice becomes a reality for victims,” Attorney General Coleman said in a statement. “I’m grateful to our dedicated colleagues across the Commonwealth who stare at this darkness and go after the perpetrators of domestic violence with vigor.”
The Attorney General’s Office encourages anyone who has been a victim of a crime to contact its Victim Resource and Referral Line at (800) 372-2551.
You can read the contents of the manual here.