The Denver District Attorney’s Office has created a domestic-violence based unit to help take on increased cases throughout the city. 

The office has officially divided the Family Violence Unit into two separate entities — the Domestic Violence Unit and the Child Victim Unit — according to a Monday news release.

This change was driven by recent crime trends, specifically the increase in domestic violence cases, according to the release.

The office filed 12% more domestic violence cases in 2024 than 2023, and 2025 filings continue that upward trend. Furthermore, the Family Violence Unit tried 37% of the office’s overall district court trials in 2024 and handled 25% of the office’s total courtroom dockets.

The Domestic Violence Unit will handle all felony cases involving an offender and victim who have had an intimate relationship and is made up of eight deputy district attorneys, four victim advocates and four investigators. The unit is currently prosecuting 420 cases.

The Child Victim Unit will handle all felony cases involving child victims under the age of 18, with a primary focus on sexual assault on a child and child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury or death. It is made up of four deputy district attorneys, two victim advocates and two investigators and is currently prosecuting 120 cases.

“Domestic violence and child abuse cases present special challenges that require our team to specialize and collaborate closely with the Denver Police Department and with community partners like the Rose Andom Center, the SAFE Center and the Denver Children’s Advocacy Center, among others. Our two new units make that possible,” District Attorney John Walsh said in the release. “Given the recent increase in domestic violence cases and our commitment to the prosecution of child abuse cases, we concluded that this was the right time to make these changes to protect some of Denver’s most vulnerable residents.”