Philadelphia City Council to Investigate Criminal Justice System's Handling of Domestic Violence Cases
Philadelphia City Council is set to hold hearings in response to the tragic murder of 23-year-old Kada Scott and the failures that occurred prior to her death. The council aims to examine how the criminal justice system addresses victims of domestic violence, following a series of missteps that led to the loss of a young life.
Council President Kenyatta Johnson acknowledged the city's failure in the case, stating, “As the City of Philadelphia, I think we failed the young lady.” He emphasized the need for these hearings to explore the policies that resulted in charges being dropped in a domestic violence case against Scott’s alleged killer, 21-year-old Keon King.
The Events Leading Up to the Murder
On January 13, King attempted to break into his ex-girlfriend’s home along 23rd Street near Berks Street three times, starting around 3 a.m. He returned 13 hours later, around 3:30 p.m., and tried again to get into the home, looking in windows with a gun in his waistband.
About an hour later, as the ex-girlfriend and a friend left the house to run an errand, King allegedly grabbed her and forced her into his car, with his 2-year-old child reportedly in the back seat. When the friend tried to intervene, he threatened to kill her, according to sources.
Police said King assaulted the victim in the car, including biting her face and choking her. She escaped around Girard Avenue and 7th Street and flagged down the police to report the incident.
Legal Controversies and Public Outcry
District Attorney Larry Krasner, whose office dropped kidnapping charges against King in that case, deflected blame by criticizing a judge for granting King bail, which in turn drew a furious rebuttal from the courts. Nearly nine months later, King was charged with kidnapping in Scott's disappearance. This week, police charged him with her murder — a gunshot to the head.
Scott’s cousin, Iona, has already made up her mind and is calling for Krasner’s resignation on change.org. “With the history of Keon King and the fact that he was released, I just feel like we need to initiate change immediately,” she said.
In three days, the petition has received more than 2,200 signatures. Iona says she hopes council can improve the system, but she considers the hearings “too late.” “We’ve lost too many victims to domestic violence,” she said.
Calls for Systemic Change
Johnson says the city owes Scott’s family more than thoughts and prayers. “You got two city departments pointing fingers at one another, and at the end of the day, that’s not going to bring any resolution to the family,” he said.
“... We’re going to have a very robust hearing on our criminal justice system as a whole. We wanna make sure we don’t fail another young person moving forward,” he said.
No date was set for the hearings, but the council remains committed to addressing the systemic issues that contributed to this tragedy. The hearings are expected to be a significant step toward reform and accountability within the criminal justice system.
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