Mother of Aisha Fraser calls for domestic violence protections in rare interview

“How do you sweep something like that under the carpet? You just don’t do that,” Fraser said, noting that because it was his “first offense” he got off easy. “First time could be the last time she could have been dead.”

Since Aisha’s death, Ohio lawmakers have continued to propose legislation known as Aisha’s Law. A bipartisan group of more than 30 of them want her story to lead to a change.

“Enough is enough,” state Rep. Juanita Brent  (D-Cleveland) said. “How many more people must die as a result of domestic violence before this legislation is law?”

She and state Rep. Sara Carruthers (R-Hamilton) feel that the lawmakers need to step up and put Ohioans first.

“Far too many individuals continue to be abused and live in fear,” Carruthers said. “That is why it is so critical that we pass House Bill 486 and make Ohio safer — and a safer place to let victims know that we care about them and that there is hope.”

Both women say they have a personal experience with violence, with Brent having filed a civil stalking protection order and Carruthers’ mother having been a victim of domestic abuse.

They are being helped by Cuyahoga County Councilmember and Aisha’s lifelong friend Meredith Turner.

“The bill is asking for law enforcement to be trained, learn how to assess victims of domestic violence, specifically the risk of them losing their lives,” Turner said.

H.B. 486 would also create additional penalties for aggravated murder when the victim was a family member and for child endangerment when the violence happens around children. Plus it would mandate courts to have a judge available around the clock to issue protection orders.

A portion of Aisha’s Law was passed in 2022, creating a standalone offense of strangulation.

Until 2023, Ohio was the only state in the U.S. that failed to recognize the potentially deadly crime as a felony. The new law states that an individual is guilty of strangulation if they cause serious physical harm or cause a substantial risk of serious physical harm to another person by means of strangulation or suffocation. The strangulation offense can be charged as a second-degree, fourth-degree, or fifth-degree felony.

“I absolutely believe there is a very strong potential to save lives,” Turner.

This bill hits home for her, not just because of the murder of someone as close as a sister, but because she is also a survivor of intimate partner violence, she said.

“This is not something that I talk about publicly, but with Aisha’s loss of her life, it really compelled me,” she said. “I am telling my story, I am advocating for Aisha to show people that this can happen to anyone.”

Aisha’s loved ones hope that lawmakers can get it done this time — so that other families don’t have to suffer the same fate.

“They really need to make a stiffer law because there have been other women here in the Greater Cleveland area,” Fraser said. “It doesn’t stop, it just gets worse.”

This is the third time the bill has been introduced, each time by Carruthers and a Democratic cosponsor. The House passed it in a bipartisan fashion both times. But it stalls in the Senate.

“A lot of people don’t think that’s a big issue,” the Republican said. “I personally do.”

Domestic violence bills tend to have the least amount of opponents, yet disproportionately don’t pass, according to our analysis.

The two lawmakers are hopeful that they have made enough compromises and the Senate will finally pass the bill.

Mason was sentenced to life in prison in 2019 with the possibility of parole after 35 years.

Fraser told me she will continue fighting for the bill to be passed — and for Aisha’s story to be told.

Domestic Violence Resources

Ohio Domestic Violence Network: 1-800-934-9840 or 614-781-9651

Domestic Violence and Child Advocacy Center:

• 24-Hour Domestic Violence Helpline: 216-391-HELP (4357)
• 24-Hour Family Helpline: 216-391-4357

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1−800−799−7233.