According to some experts, one out of every two women will be the victim of some type of relationship violence in their lifetime, 10TV's Andrea Cambern reported.

But many cases go unreported and even fewer are prosecuted, Cambern reported.

The legal document that is designed to protect a victim is sometimes the spark that ignites the most intense violence.

May 12, 2001 is the day that domestic violence became personal fro Bexley Police Chief Larry Rinehart.

"It was the day before Mothers Day, when my mother received the call that my sister had been murdered by her estranged husband," Rinehart said.

Rinehart's sister Laura, was at home in Lawley, Alabama when her estranged husband broke down the door and shot her. 

In an interview in 2003 her daughter described the horror.

"After the first gunshot she yelled, don't do it Larry, in the strongest voice I ever heard, and he shot her two more times and left smiling," said Rinehart's daughter Elizabeth Sayers.

Rinehart said his sister had done all she could to put her volatile relationship behind her, including getting a restraining order.

"A lot of us falsely believe those protection orders are truly protection orders, like it's an invisible force shield," Rinehart said. "My sister had taken that step to get a protection order - certainly didn't provide her any defense, no safety net for her."

While a protection or restraining order is a way to get the courts involved in keeping an abuser away from a victim,  it is nothing more than a piece of paper.

The order can play a role in charging and sentencing an abuser for anything that happens in the future.

"Great for after the fact, but all too often don't serve any purpose up front," Rinehart said.

Rinehart said he believes a far more powerful tool is awareness. 

He continues to champion the cause with determination and a deep commitment to make a difference.

"Even on the days that I'm tired, I remind myself I'm here for my sister, and I stand here and I speak for my sister," Rinehart said.

Rinehart said that men hold a large part of the responsibility for putting an end to the violence.

The latest statistics show 95 percent of victims are women, however domestic violence can occur in any type of family relationship, Cambern reported.

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