October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Frederick, Md (Km) Perpetrators of domestic violence are always trying to control their victims, even if the couple decides to lead separate lives. That’s according to the Director of the Domestic Violence Unit of the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, Brett Englar.
Speaking recently on WFMD’s “Four State Focus,” Englar said while most alleged perpetrators of domestic violence do obey protective orders, not all do. “Power and control. is the basis of domestic violence. I want people to understand that point,” she said. “When the power of control is threatened by a legal piece of paper instituted by his victim—someone who thought he would control for life—it is very likely that the victim is in more danger with a protective order than when they’re actually in the relationship.”
Also appearing on the program was Kate Hanson, whose estranged husband is serving a 93-year sentence for 1st-degree assault and the use of a firearm in a crime of violence,. He was convicted of those charges on December 6th, 2024, along with illegal possession of a regulated firearm and illegal possession of ammunition.
The victim, Kate Hanson, had an active protective order against David Hanson in the State of Virginia.
On November 18th, 2021, at around 8:30 AM, Frederick Police responded to reports of an armed robbery in the 400 block of East Patrick Street. They determined it was not a robbery. Kate Hanson told officers that David Hanson held a handgun at her head, and pulled the trigger, but the gun failed to discharge. At that time, she was sitting in her car talking with an acquaintance.
David Hanson fled from the scene after a another person intervened. He tossed the handgun into Carrol Creek which police recovered. Police took him into custody.
Sentence was handed down to David Hanson on February 26th, 2025.
Kate Hanson provided a victim impact statement to the court during sentencing. “I think that’s a big part of what they want to do is to kind of give up, again more of that course of control,” she said. “Just keep at it. And part of self-advocacy is utilizing to do the victim of impact statement.”
Even though her estranged husband will be spending a long time in prison, Kate Hanson says the memory of the abuse will remain. “This cycle of abuse and control doesn’t really ever go away. I think it just takes another shape. And so it’s advocating for longer sentences for domestic violence abusers. If you and your kids are young, that’s years that you’re going to have to deal with something,” she says.
It even takes a toll on children. “When I told the children that he was going away for a very, very long time, they didn’t even know what to do,” Kate Hanson said. “One of my children had said ‘now we can finally live like happily ever after.’ Her words exactly. I was so taken aback by that,”
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
By Kevin McManus