Two years ago, a Cleveland-area teen was shot in the face by her boyfriend after she accused him of raping her at knifepoint. Tuesday, she urged legislators to pass a bill that would protect minors from domestic violence.

Johanna Orozco, 20, spoke at the Ohio Statehouse in support of Brown’s Bill, which would allow judges to issue protection orders against juveniles.

The proposal comes after a similar bill that passed unanimously in the House last year but died in the Senate.

Elsa Croucher, left, hugs Johanna Orozco, a 20-year-old who was shot in the face by her boyfriend two years ago. Croucher is the mother of Tina Croucher, who was murdered in 1992 by her boyfriend. Orozco spoke Tuesday at the Statehouse to support two bills that would teach teens about the dangers of abusive relationships and allow adults to request protection orders on behalf of minors. Photo by Kenny Greer.KENNY GREER/THE LANTERNElsa Croucher, left, hugs Johanna Orozco, a 20-year-old who was shot in the face by her boyfriend two years ago. Croucher is the mother of Tina Croucher, who was murdered in 1992 by her boyfriend. Orozco spoke Tuesday at the Statehouse to support two bills that would teach teens about the dangers of abusive relationships and allow adults to request protection orders on behalf of minors.
“The day the bill died was one of the worst days of my life,” Orozco said. “It was almost as painful as the death of my parents, the rape by a guy I once loved and the shooting that destroyed my face.”

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray announced his support for the bill Tuesday, along with support for House Bill 19, which would require schools to adopt a dating abuse policy and incorporate dating violence into their curricula.

“As attorney general, I am interested in making sure that parents and teens have the best tools available to give themselves peace of mind,” Cordray said. “In Ohio right now, we do not have these tools.”

House Bill 19 is named Tina’s Law after Tina Croucher, an 18-year-old Cincinnati-area teen murdered by her former boyfriend in 1992.

Croucher’s mother, Elsa, said her daughter’s murder could have been prevented through education. She said teens often do not recognize the severity of teen dating violence.

“My daughter had sworn her friends to secrecy,” Croucher said.

“They would not tell anyone.”

Critics of Tina’s Law argue that the bill is an unfunded mandate.

“I don’t see how this could be seen as an unfunded mandate when the curricula is already written,” said Stabile Harwood, the bill’s sponsor. “We need to break this cycle.”

Orozco said she believes that Cordray’s support will push the passage of both bills.

“Today I am filled with hope,” Orozco said. “It is too late for me, but it’s not too late to educate young people on how to best deal with violent relationships.”

Amber Phelps can be reached at [email protected].